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Where to go in January / Ireland in January / Dublin & the east / January

Ireland · Beach

Dublin & the east
in January.

Illustration of Upper Lake at Glendalough in Wicklow
Glendalough Upper Lake, WicklowDestination view, not month-specific.

Is January a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than December.

January averages 47°F afternoons and 49°F seas, with about 11 rain days.

Afternoons
47°F
Sea
49°F
Visitor demand
36%of June peak

Historical Eastern and Midland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Dublin and Wicklow; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

3.0/10 · scores & priorities

Planning to sightsee in Dublin? The weather score rates beach conditions. Sightseeing rates fair (4.6/10).

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#9 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather1.0/10Poor
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; Ireland-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your January

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 47°F (8°C): a warm coat; nights around 37°F (3°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 11 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in January?

The sea averages 49°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 8 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 08:36Sunset 16:3737°F47°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 08:36 and sets about 16:37 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 37°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 47°F (8°C). Expect rain on about 11 days in a typical January.

Typical afternoon
47°F (8°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Januarys
Night low
37°F (3°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
49°F (9°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
8h 02m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late January?

Early and late January have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 48°F on the 1st, versus 48°F on the 31st.

Early January 1 January

48°F

Typical afternoon high

42% historical wet-day frequency

Mid January 15 January

46°F

Typical afternoon high

34% historical wet-day frequency

Late January 31 January

48°F

Typical afternoon high

42% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2027: 1 Jan New Year's Day.

Daily calendar & holiday datesJanuary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

January 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
148°247°347°
447°547°647°747°847°947°1047°
1146°1246°1346°1446°1546°1646°1746°
1847°1947°2047°2147°2247°2347°2447°
2547°2647°2747°2848°2948°3048°3148°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons hold at about 47°F (8°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 34–42%.

School-holiday dates for January 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 1 Jan New Year's Day. Elsewhere in January 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 21%, Spain 24%, Italy 20%, Poland 17%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Moderate season. January averages 36% of June's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than December.

Overnight stays across Eastern and Midland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Ireland as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 129 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from New York JFK, Newark, Boston and Chicago and 7 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

Year-to-year variation

How much does January vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 44°F (6°C) and 49°F (9°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 47°F (8°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 19; half the years had 8–17.

Rain days in each January

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 8 rain days820112012: 10 rain days102013: 15 rain days152014: 19 rain days192015: 13 rain days132016: 19 rain days192017: 6 rain days62018: 17 rain days172019: 7 rain days72020: 11 rain days112021: 18 rain days182022: 5 rain days52023: 9 rain days92024: 9 rain days92025: 11 rain days112025
Rain days
11
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 19 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
2 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no January in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
0 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded JanuaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201144°F8
201248°F10
201347°F15
201447°F19
201546°F13
201647°F19
201748°F6
201847°F17
201947°F7
202049°F11
202144°F18
202248°F5
202347°F9
202447°F9
202546°F11

Checked against 19 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

December, January
or February?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs June peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsDecJanFeb
Afternoons48°F47°F49°F
Sea52°F49°F47°F
Rain days131113
Overnight demand67%36%38%

December: Warmer sea and more rain days than January. More overnight demand. December guide →

February: Warmer afternoons and more rain days than January. February guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with January Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. January stays as your reference.

April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than January, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

January or December?

Overnight stays are 67% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the December guide →
January compared with another month
Typical conditionsJanuaryDecember
Afternoons47°F48°F
Nights37°F39°F
Sea49°F52°F
Rain days1113
Visitor seasonModerate seasonBusy season
Overall / 103.03.0
Month rank#9#12
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.0#947°F37°F49°F111.0Moderate season
February3.0#1049°F37°F47°F131.0Moderate season
March3.2#852°F38°F47°F101.2Moderate season
April4.6#456°F40°F48°F82.6Moderate season
May4.5#562°F45°F52°F93.9Busy season
June4.3#666°F49°F55°F115.0Peak season
July5.4#269°F52°F58°F115.5Busy season
August5.6#168°F53°F59°F115.5Busy season
September5.1#364°F50°F59°F94.5Busy season
October4.0#758°F47°F57°F132.4Busy season
November3.0#1151°F41°F55°F131.0Busy season
December3.0#1248°F39°F52°F131.0Busy season

Near here

Nearby places in January

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better January weather than Dublin & the east

Dublin & the east's weather ranks 51 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Ireland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Dublin & the east.

All of Ireland in January · Everywhere in January

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's moderate season, 36% of the busiest month and 42% below its average month. That means about 22,000 overnight visitors on a typical January night across the region, 34% of them from Ireland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,900 more: 13 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)36
How our weather was checked19 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day8
Busiest month hereJune · 23
Visitors as share of people present0.8%
Rank among Europe's regions this month65th percentile
Domestic share of nights34%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights13
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.9%
National hotel-price seasonIreland historical 2024–2025 index: Well below usual (−15% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used2.7 million
Statistical regionIE06 · Eastern and Midland

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.