Ireland in Fall: A Locals Autumn Guide (2024)

Autumn in Ireland is my favourite time of the year to travel around.

Autumn includes the months of September, October and November and the weather gets more wintery the closer it gets to December.

And, while the days are shorter and cooler, it’s a lovely time to explore Ireland, with many places covered in a blanket of golden leaves at the beginning of the season.

In the guide below, you’ll find everything from average temperatures and what to expect to things to do in Ireland in fall.

Some quick need-to-knows about autumn in Ireland

Although spending fall in Ireland is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll get you up-to-speed on what to expect quickly.

1. When is it autumn in Ireland

Autumn in Ireland begins at the start of September and runs until the end of November. 

2. The weather in Ireland in fall

Fall weather in Ireland varies a lot from year to year. In September in Ireland we have average highs of 13°C and lows of 9°C. In Ireland in October we get average highs of 13°C and lows around 6°C. In Ireland in November we get average highs of 11°C and lows of 6.2°C.

3. The tourist season

Fall in Ireland is part ‘shoulder season’ (September and October), i.e. the time between peak season and the off season and part off season (November).

4. Shortening days

The days start to shorten rapidly during autumn in Ireland. In September, the sun rises from 06:41 and it sets at 20:14. In October, the sun rises from 07:33 and sets at 19:09. In November, the sun rises from 07:29 and it sets at 17:00. This makes planning your Ireland itinerary towards the end of the season a little bit trickier.

5. Plenty to do

There’s endless things to do in Ireland in the fall, from hikes and walks to scenic drives, tours and much much more (you’ll find suggestions below).

An overview of the average temperature during the autumn months in Ireland

Destination	Sept	Oct	Nov
Killarney	13.2 °C/55.7 °F	10.6 °C/51 °F	7.5 °C/45.6 °F
Dublin	13.1 °C/ 55.5 °F	10.3 °C/ 50.5 °F	7 °C/ 44.6 °F
Cobh	14 °C/ 57.3 °F	11.6 °C/52.8 °F	8.6 °C/47.4 °F
Galway	13.6 °C/56.4 °F	10.8 °C/51.5 °F	7.9 °C/46.2 °F

In the table above, you’ll get a sense of the average temperature in Ireland in fall in different corners of the island, to give you a sense of what to expect. The one thing that I want to stress is that the weather in Ireland in the fall can be very unpredictable.

So, if you’re planning a trip to Ireland, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons. To give you a better sense of what to expect, I’ll give you an overview of what the weather has been like during September, October and November in previous years.

The pros and cons of visiting Ireland in the fall

If you read our guide to the best time to visit Ireland, you’ll know that every single month comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

Below, you’ll find pros and cons to visiting Ireland in the fall, from someone that’s spent 34 years here:

The pros 

• Weather: Autumn in Ireland tends to be a nice time to travel. Last year, the avg. temperature during fall in Ireland was a mild 11.9 °C
• September: This is the shoulder season – flight and accommodation prices are lower and the busy peak season has ended. The days are also nice and long (sun rises from 06:41 and it sets at 20:14)
• October: The air is cool and crisp, there’s golden leaves everywhere (in October) and many popular tourist attractions are much quieter. The days still have a bit of length in them (sun rises from 07:33 and sets at 19:09)
• November: Many Christmas markets in Ireland kick off during the middle of the month, bringing a buzzy festive atmosphere with them

The cons

• September: There’s very few. In fact, I can’t think of any off-hand
• October: The weather is very unpredictable. In October 2017, for example, Storm Ophelia hit Ireland, and it was the worst to hit the island in 50 years
• November: Again, the weather – the last two Novembers have been mild, but we’ve had freak storms in years past

Things to do in Ireland in the fall

There’s endless things to do in Ireland in the fall. From hikes and walks for those fine days to scenic drives and indoor attractions for the rainy ones. Planning your Ireland itinerary will be handyish during this season.

I’ll give you some suggestions of things to do below, but if you hop into our counties hub you’ll be able to find places to visit in each individual county.

1. Road trip time

At the start of fall in Ireland, you’ll have plenty of daylight hours to play with. This makes mapping out your road trip nice and easy, as you’re not stuck for time.

In our road trip hub, you’ll find heaps of ready made itineraries for you to use – they’re detailed and easy to follow.

2. Explore on foot

If you visit Ireland in autumn when the weather’s fine, there’s plenty of areas of natural beauty where you can explore by foot.

In fact, there’s walks in Ireland to suit every fitness level, once you know where to look (see our counties hub for hikes in each corner of Ireland).

3. Indoor attractions come in handy

So, Ireland in fall can be hit and miss weather wise, which means it’s useful to have some indoor attractions lined up for when it rains.

If you’re visiting Dublin, for example, there’s everywhere from the Guinness Storehouse to the Book of Kells tour to keep you amused and dry.

4. Christmas markets

Many of the Christmas markets in Ireland kick-off in mid-November. Here’s a handful to check out during your visit:

• Dublin Christmas markets
• Galway Christmas market
• Belfast Christmas market
• Glow Cork
• Waterford Winterval

FAQs about spending autumn in Ireland

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Where can I see autumn colors in Ireland?’ to ‘Which fall month is best for visiting?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.