Ireland in January?

Thougts? The temps don't look too different from temps here in the northeast.

Thinking about renting a car and driving around.. will that be a pain in January?

I assume it won't be too green?

Any thoughts in general about Ireland inJanuary are appreciated!

Re: Ireland in January?

in a nutshell--- it s ucks.

it just does... the weather is crap. granted, they don't get the bitter cold and wind chills that we do (they think frost on the ground is snow! ), so that will be bearable. Cold -for them is 0 degrees Celcius.

However, the winters in Ireland stink because it gets dark so EARLY. by 3 -4 PM it's dark, that's it. In contrast, in the summer time there is nothing like a long Irish night where the sun doesn't set until 11 PM.... so really, you don't have a lot of daylight hours to do things in January. Also, the touristy things tend to be much quieter (this can be good--- if they're even open!) in the winter.

Renting a car will be your best option in January. January tends to be dull and overcast, so you will miss the true splendor of Ireland's landscape.

That all said though, Ireland is a great place and you will find things to do. However, things will be much much quieter and things will not be geared towards tourists in January.

I go often so please let me know if I can help you in anyway.

Re: Ireland in January?

Ugh, January is the most depressing month in the world, hardly any daylight, lots of rain, fog, cold (milder than NY) weather, rain, wind....

Yuck.

eta...it will still be very very green though.

Message edited 8/29/2008 4:24:15 AM.

Re: Ireland in January?

Thanks for the tips ladies!

I don't have too high of expectations. Really I just want to see a few things, drink in some pubs, and relax.

I found a really good deal, so I kind of see this as a bonus, long-weekend trip and not my "trip of the year".

Still deciding though....

Re: Ireland in January?

DH and I went to Ireland for New Years last year and had a great time! We went to Dublin and Galway. It POURED the first day we got there, but it was fine because were inside the Guinness brewery

We had decent weather the rest of the time. While it was kind of gray, the temperatures were not that cold and it was comfortable enough to walk around.

We were going to rent a car and drive around, but we actually had friends there who were kind enough to drive us around.

I'm not sure where you plan on going, but let me know if you need any recommendations for places to stay, etc. because DH studied abroad in Galway and has been there many times!

Re: Ireland in January?

I would go. January is wet, yes, but the seasons are actually a month or so ahead of the seasons over here. Snow is rare and the most you will have is some frost or rain.

I go regularly for Christmas and always have pretty nice weather. The next time I go will be February for the Six Nations Rugby

The weather this Summer has been the worst my parents can ever remember, so January can't be any worse.

Re: Ireland in January?

Posted by ODonnell

I would go. January is wet, yes, but the seasons are actually a month or so ahead of the seasons over here. Snow is rare and the most you will have is some frost or rain.

I go regularly for Christmas and always have pretty nice weather. The next time I go will be February for the Six Nations Rugby

The weather this Summer has been the worst my parents can ever remember, so January can't be any worse.

Re: Ireland in January?

Message edited 8/30/2008 1:16:11 PM.

Re:

Message edited 9/11/2011 2:20:50 PM.

Re: Ireland in January?

Posted by MeNBobs

Gooooooooooooooo!!

I lived in Ireland for three years and even adopted a husband from there. I have come to terms with the fact that every trip I take for the rest of my life will be there. We are going in November.

We went last January for just under 2 weeks and it was great. The weather was not too cold. I walked around with a blazer on during the day. We mostly visited friends and family but on a few days we did some sights and it was not a hassle at all. It does get dark early so you just have to make sure you get a jump start on the day. I loved sitting in my old local around the fire .

What part are you heading to?

If you are renting a car I have a code for enterprise
49B7000
The three letter code you have to put in on the naxt page is FAL

Re: Ireland in January?

Re: Ireland in January?

Re: Ireland in January?

Posted by melbalalala


They didn't price it separately, you had to get the entire package but the website has a bunch of fly&drive packages that might be worth looking into?

Re: Ireland in January?

sounds great to me, cozy fireplaces, a nice fresh tap beer and some comfort food with your hubby- sounds just lovely for a weekend break

dont miss the trinity college library

Re: Ireland in January?

sounds romantic melissa - fireplaces, cozy - very nice!!

have a great time!!!

Re: Ireland in January?

I went into February for one visit - it was a HS exchange program and was there for a week.

It was overcast a lot, rained a bit each day, but not for long. I ended up catching a cold due to dampness, but you still can see rolling hills of green and the touristry sites are not over crowded and you can still have fun!

I also went there for a college semester in June and July and it was swamped everywhere with college students, tourists, and it got hot enough that I wanted shorts and a tank top.

I don't think you can go wrong any time you want - you just have to know how to deal with the ebs and flows of mother nature in the north atlantic.

Re:

Message edited 9/11/2011 2:21:19 PM.

Re: Ireland in January?

Posted by MeNBobs

That deal is insane. I am having you book my next trip. I think we paid a little under that amount just for flights. It would be worth it to get the flights and car and not use the hotels. Your rate is a lot better than my rental car code . With a deal like that how could you not go. You will have a great time.

Re: Ireland in January?

Posted by donegal419

in a nutshell--- it s ucks.

it just does... the weather is crap. granted, they don't get the bitter cold and wind chills that we do (they think frost on the ground is snow! ), so that will be bearable. Cold -for them is 0 degrees Celcius.

However, the winters in Ireland stink because it gets dark so EARLY. by 3 -4 PM it's dark, that's it. In contrast, in the summer time there is nothing like a long Irish night where the sun doesn't set until 11 PM.... so really, you don't have a lot of daylight hours to do things in January. Also, the touristy things tend to be much quieter (this can be good--- if they're even open!) in the winter.

Renting a car will be your best option in January. January tends to be dull and overcast, so you will miss the true splendor of Ireland's landscape.

That all said though, Ireland is a great place and you will find things to do. However, things will be much much quieter and things will not be geared towards tourists in January.

I go often so please let me know if I can help you in anyway.