Spring in Ireland: A Locals 2024 Guide

Spring in Ireland stretches from March to May and it’s a beautiful time to visit.

Winter is in the rear view, the days are getting nice and long (see below) and the weather in Ireland is milder as summer is approaching.

Visiting Ireland in spring has its pros and cons, as you’ll discover in a moment, but it has an awful lot to offer those looking to explore.

Below, you’ll find everything from info on the average temperatures to things to do in Ireland in Spring. Dive on in!

Some quick need-to-knows about spring in Ireland

Although spending spring in Ireland is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. When is spring in Ireland

The spring months in Ireland are March, April and May. These are the ‘shoulder’ months (i.e. the time between the peak-season and the off-season) for tourism across the island .

2. Spring time in Ireland weather

The weather in Ireland in spring varies from year to year. In March in Ireland we have average highs of 10°C and lows of 4.4°C. In Ireland in April we get average highs of 13°C and lows around 4°C. In Ireland in May we get average temps of between 9.0 °C and 13.0 °C.

3. Spring is shoulder season

Shoulder season is a great time to explore Ireland. Flight and accommodation prices won’t have reached their peak and many attractions will be less busy. The exception for this is around St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th).

4. Longer days

One of the beauties of spring in Ireland is that the days get longer and longer. In March, the sun rises from between 06:13 and 07:12 and sets between 18:17 and 18:49. In May, it rises from around 05:17 and sets around 21:26. This gives you lots of time to play with when planning your Ireland itinerary.

5. Loads to do

The longer days and the better weather means you’ve plenty of time to get out and about. There’s several festivals that take place during spring in Ireland and there’s endless walks, hikes, scenic drives and tours for you to tackle (see below).

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

Destination	Mar	Apr	May
Killarney	5.5 °C/42 °F	8.4 °C/47.1 °F	11 °C/51.9 °
Dublin	3 °C/37.4 °F	4.8 °C/40.6 °F	7.6 °C/45.6 °F
Cobh	7.1 °C/44.8 °F	8.8 °C/47.9 °F	11.4 °C/52.5 °F
Galway	6.9 °C/44.4 °F	8.9 °C/48 °F	11.6 °C/52.9 °F

In the table above, you’ll get a sense of the average temperature in Ireland in spring in several different places, to give you an idea of what to expect. The one thing that I want to stress is that the weather in Ireland in spring can be unpredictable.

In the past, we’ve had snow storms, flooding and strong winds in spring. So, if you’re planning a trip to Ireland during March, April or May, packing the right clothing is essential.

The pros and cons of visiting Ireland in the spring

If you read our guide to the best time to visit Ireland, you’ll know that there’s pros and cons to visiting Ireland during every month of the year.

Below, you’ll find some pros and cons of spending spring in Ireland, from someone that’s spent the last 32 springs here:

The advantages

• Prices: If you’re visiting Ireland on a budget, it’ll be cheaper to fly now than in the busy summer months
• Long days: The days are getting longer (mid-April: sun rises at 06:23 and sets at 20:00)
• Spring buzz: Longer days and better weather tends to put people in a better humour and brings a buzz to many towns and villages in Ireland

The disadvantages

• Holiday price hikes: Schools get 2 weeks off around Easter, which can drive up the cost of accommodation in many places. Expect the same for St. Patrick’s Day in March

Things to do in Ireland in spring

There’s endless things to do in Ireland in spring thanks to the longer days. From hikes and walks to island visits, greenways and more, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

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

1. Hikes and walks

The longer days are perfect for tackling one of the many walks in Ireland. These can range from short and handy to rambles to tough aul climbs, depending on what you’re into.

Personally, I head off walking most between April and May, when the days are nice and long and there’s plenty of time to play with if I need to drive a decent distance for a hike.

2. Tourist hot spots

Spring in Ireland is a great time to tackle some of the more popular things to do in Ireland, as crowds will be nowhere near peak levels.

Places like the Cliffs of Moher, the Guinness Storehouse and the Giants Causeway will still be busy (they always are!), but they’ll be much quieter in comparison to the summer.

3. Festivals

Spring is when the various festivals in Ireland really start to kick-off. In April, for example, you have the Kilkenny Roots Festival and the Galway Theatre Festival.

In May, there’s everything from the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival to Life Festival (a music festival).

4. Endless more attractions

Spring in Ireland is the perfect time to explore. If you’re not sure of what to see or do, hop into our counties of Ireland hub and just click into the place you’re visiting.

You’ll find everything from unique places to visit to some of the more well-trodden tourist trails.

FAQs about spring time in Ireland

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Is spring time in Ireland a good time to visit?’ to ‘What is Ireland’s shoulder season like?’.

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.