Hi
We are going on our first trip to Ireland on 5th May for 2 weeks. Will be in Dublina and also driving around county Cork and county Kerry
Besides being prepared for rain, what kind of weather can we expect? Coming from Israel where at that time of the year we are already sitting on the beach I need to know how much "winter" weather to be prepared for?
Thanks and shalom
Jabo

Jabo - I'm afraid this is a 'how long is a piece of string?' question! There are simply no definites. It should be reasonably warm but you will probably need some sort of jacket most days (it might be windy or rainy making it feel colder than it actually is, if you know what I mean..) and woollen jumpers and cardigans at the beginning and end of the day, if not all day. Most places will have the heating off as this is considered 'summer'.

Having said that, I have known it to be bitterly cold in May (hopefully your heating will then go on again!) or at the other end of the scale, so hot that you are wearing a sleeveless dress all day. I would make sure that you have some 'winter' clothes but it is unlikely you would need really thick trousers, boots, heavy tights etc. Layers are usually the best idea at this time of year and you will probably start off with a few and maybe get down to one!

The best advice I can give is to check one of the weather sites on the internet (or several, as they seem to vary a lot with their forecasts...)and you should be able to get up to a 10 day estimate in advance of what the highs and lows are likely to be.

Thanks Felicity - you reply was kind of what I expected. It is the pits having to pack for that kind of weather. But layered is definitely the way to go!!
Thanks
Jabo

When I was in Ireland (granted it was in November) I was told that there is only one type of weather forecast:

It has rained, it is going to rain, or it is raining.

At the very least, I would pack some kind of rain jacket to keep you dry!

Whatever the weather, you have chosen the most beautiful month of the year to visit the emerald isle. Everything is at its freshest and greenest in May.

quote:

Originally posted by jabo:
Besides being prepared for rain, what kind of weather can we expect?

Hi jabo,
While I know there can be no definites where the weather is concerned, there is an option of comparing about ten years of averages on the "trip planner" from Weather Underground. Have a grand trip!

Hello Jabo,

Felicity puts it nicely - to that I would add:

- bring a fleece and layres. A decent lightweight fleece will keep the wind and cold out. Typically May can be a fine month with temperature knocking around 15C. Here's Ireland's national weather website:

Met Eireann historical climate

Whatever weather you receive, it will provide a talking point between you and Irish people!

Have a great trip,

Peter
Insiders guide to hidden Dublin

I'll chime in with a strong agreement on the advice of "layers." What to expect that time of year? Well, I've done it 3 times in the past 7 years, and the answer has been "anywhere from 50 F (10C) and rainy/windy to 70F (21C) and sunny" - all in a two-week period in May! And rain is a given... you may get lucky (we have on several trips), but it's also not unusual to have at least some rain most days. (There's a reason it's so green there!)

And of course, what you are accustomed to also matters a great deal. In August, I was in short-sleeved shirts and loving it, while I encountered many southern Italians in sweaters and leather coats, complaining about the cold. If you have layers and are flexible, you'll be in good shape. Regardless of the weather - enjoy!

We were there in May last year and out of the 15 days we had one day of rain in Northern Ireland and half a day driving into Dublin. Most of the days we wore light long sleeved tops and jeans or summer slacks. We added a light jacket at night when we walked to the pubs for the music.
We loved the green of the fields and had expected more rain while we were there. Guess we were lucky.
Jill

The only certain thing about Irish weather is its uncertainty!
Keep that in mind and you won't be disappointed.
The advice about layers of clothing obviously makes sense as it is possible to have all four seasons in one day's weather in Ireland.
Have a great time.

It became a running joke between my husband and I when we were in Ireland (in May of 2003).

Everytime we arrived in a new town the B & B owner would tell us, "sorry about the rain, you should have been here last week it was dry and sunny."
But after rain almost everyday in our 20 day trip we knew we couldn't always just be missing the sunshine, the country isn't that large.

But with Gore-Tex and a good rain hat the weather never stopped us from doing anything we wanted.

quote:

the country isn't that large.

Small country, but lots of 'weather'. You can have rain in one village and sun in the next one a few miles away. The variations are amazing over a small area. They may well have been telling the truth and you were just unlucky in that you moved with the clouds.