The visitor season
Moderate season, nationally.
December records 46% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.
A good place. At the right time.
Ireland
in December.
Is December a good time?
No scored region rates very good or better for weather this month.
National overnight stays are 46% of the August peak.
- Regional afternoon highs
- 48–50°F
- Very good weather
- 0 / 3 regions
Weather falls below the very-good band in 3 scored regions.
Find your December baseBased on 3 statistical regions. Typical conditions, not a forecast for individual towns.
One month. 3 possibilities.
Choose your December base.
The useful differences, side by side. Open a region for its full month guide.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
Overall scores use the Balanced mix. Choose a different priority to order the regions by that mix.
BeachDublin & the eastDublin · WicklowRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor48°F afternoons · 13 rain days
Visitor seasonBusy seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachThe south of IrelandCork · Kerry · Ring of Kerry · Cliffs of MoherRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor50°F afternoons · 15 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachThe west of IrelandGalway · Connemara · DonegalRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor48°F afternoons · 17 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
No regions match these filters. Try another place or reset the filters.
Cost words compare a published regional accommodation level with Ireland's typical level, or describe a region's price season against its own year. The Cost score still uses Ireland's price level on the Europe scale; where regional money levels are unavailable, a cheaper season does not establish which region has the cheapest rooms.
What goes into the scores?
Overall combines weather, crowds and cost. It is not a weather rating. By default, the list ranks weather first and shows Balanced Overall scores (50% weather, 30% crowds, 20% cost). Other priorities order it by your Overall mix. Missing cost is excluded and the available parts are reweighted.
Visitor season compares each region with its own year. A higher crowd score does not establish which place has fewer people in absolute terms. Regions cover whole statistical areas; open a guide for its geographic scope. Read the scoring method.
Weather across the country
December weather & packing.
Regional averages vary; check a forecast closer to your trip.
- Typical afternoons
- 48–50°F
- Typical nights
- 39–40°F
- Rain days
- 13–17 days
Ranges span available regional monthly averages, not daily extremes. A dash means a measurement is unavailable or withheld; individual guides explain the gaps.
What to bring.
Afternoons around 50°F (10°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 15 days with at least 1 mm of rain.
Weather, region by region Afternoons, nights, rain & weather
| Region | Afternoon | Night | Rain days | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin & the east | 48°F | 39°F | 13 | poor |
| The south of Ireland | 50°F | 40°F | 15 | poor |
| The west of Ireland | 48°F | 39°F | 17 | poor |
Before you go
Check the trip details.
Hotel prices
A little below usual.
−6% on Ireland's historical national hotel-price index, versus its usual month in 2024–2025. This describes a price season, not a live room quote.
The national index cannot tell you which region has the cheapest rooms.
Thinking about the coast?
Check the water, too.
Among beach-focused regions, the warmest measured seas this month are Dublin & the east (52°F), The south of Ireland (52°F), The west of Ireland (51°F). Sea temperature is one part of a beach trip; open a region for weather and seasonal closures.
Events & holiday dates Check the year against your trip
Holidays: Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St. Stephen's Day. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Same country. A different chapter.
Dates still up in the air?
December is fixed, but the destination isn't? Find somewhere else in Europe ↗
How we know Sources, scope & limitations
Each row is a statistical region (NUTS 2); open it for the full month, the sources and what moving your dates would change. National lines are built from the regions: season is Ireland's total tourist nights this month against its busiest month (Eurostat, primarily 2024–2025; earlier published years where needed); weather counts regions whose displayed Weather score is at least 7.0/10 (very good or better) rather than averaging across the country; visitors ranks overnight visitors per resident against all Europe's regions (for a region) or the other countries (for Ireland) that month.
A regional accommodation level is shown only where publishable money data exists; elsewhere the cost words describe a regional season against its own year, and the score starts from the national price level. Separately, Ireland's 2024 restaurants-and-hotels level is above EU average (129 where the EU average is 100). Full method.