When is the shoulder season, and what do I gain or lose by choosing it?
For most visitors the shoulder runs from April to May and from September into October, and it is the better bargain on the island. You gain on three fronts: beds are cheaper and easier to get, the famous sights and the coast roads thin out, and almost everything is open, with May adding long evenings and September adding the warmest sea of the year. You lose on two. The weather is less settled than midsummer, particularly in October, and daylight retreats fast that month, from about eleven hours at its start to under ten by its end. Seasonal businesses also begin closing or cutting hours after September. September is the pick of the shoulder months for a first trip: school crowds gone, sea still warm, and the light still generous.
Useful pages: The best time to visit Ireland · Irish weather, month by month · What to wear · Weather in Ireland · Experiencing the Irish coastline · Ireland's national parks · Outdoor adventures in Ireland · Travel notices · Ireland photography tips · Ireland weather guide
Sources
- Central Statistics Office and Fáilte Ireland: visitor seasonality and peak tourism activity, cso.ie and failteireland.ie
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