Fewer crowds
January is quietest.
January, at 15% of the busiest month (August). Low season, under 35% of the peak: September and November to March.
A good place. At the right time.
Best time to visitThe south of Ireland.
Plan your visit
Find your month.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
Start with September.
#1 of 12 · Balanced · 5.5/10
Overnight stays are 34% of the busiest month.
Based on Southern regional averages.
- Afternoon high
- 64°F
- Sea temperature
- 60°F
- Crowds
- Low
The sea averages 60°F (15°C). Cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Warm air does not always mean warm water.
Check what is open. The off-season flag comes from visitor patterns. Confirm accommodation, services and transport for your dates.
Price context. National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Historical averages, not forecasts or live prices.
A regional guide. Figures cover Southern, including Cork, Kerry, Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher. Conditions vary within the region.
The whole calendar
Already have dates?
Explore your month, then weigh up the trade-offs.
September at a glance
Balanced match #1 · 5.5/10
Overnight stays are 34% of the busiest month.
The sea averages 60°F (15°C). Cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Warm air does not always mean warm water.
Check what is open. The off-season flag comes from visitor patterns. Confirm accommodation, services and transport for your dates.
Read the September guide- Afternoon high
- 64°F
- Night low
- 50°F
- Sea temperature
- 60°F
- Rain days
- 11
- Daylight
- 12h 46m
- Crowds
- Low
All 12 months, on the same measures. Tap a heading to sort or a month to open its guide.Select a month to open its guide. Scroll the table for more detail.
| Rank | Month | Overall | Weather | Crowds | Cost | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | September | 5.5 | 4.3/10 Fair | Low | Expensive | 64°F | 50°F | 60°F | 11 | 12h 46m |
| #2 | June | 5.3 | 4.8/10 Fair | Moderate | Expensive | 66°F | 49°F | 57°F | 11 | 16h 46m |
| #3 | July | 5.2 | 5.5/10 Good | Busy | Expensive | 68°F | 52°F | 60°F | 9 | 16h 22m |
| #4 | May | 5.1 | 3.7/10 Fair | Moderate | Expensive | 61°F | 44°F | 53°F | 9 | 15h 41m |
| #5 | April | 4.4 | 2.5/10 Poor | Moderate | Expensive | 56°F | 40°F | 50°F | 9 | 13h 51m |
| #6 | October | 4.3 | 2.3/10 Poor | Moderate | Pricey | 58°F | 47°F | 57°F | 13 | 10h 45m |
| #7 | August | 4.2 | 5.3/10 Good | Peak | Expensive | 67°F | 52°F | 60°F | 10 | 14h 46m |
| #8 | March | 3.1 | 1.1/10 Poor | Low | Pricey | 52°F | 38°F | 49°F | 11 | 11h 46m |
| #9 | January | 3.0 | 1.0/10 Poor | Low | Pricey | 48°F | 37°F | 49°F | 13 | 8h 11m |
| #10 | February | 3.0 | 1.0/10 Poor | Low | Pricey | 50°F | 38°F | 49°F | 14 | 9h 53m |
| #11 | November | 3.0 | 1.0/10 Poor | Low | Pricey | 52°F | 42°F | 54°F | 14 | 8h 50m |
| #12 | December | 3.0 | 1.0/10 Poor | Low | Pricey | 50°F | 40°F | 52°F | 15 | 7h 44m |
Overall follows your priorities. Crowds compare each month with this place's own year. Highs, lows and rain days are historical averages for 2011–2025.
A little perspective
The shape of the year.
Afternoon highNight low
Top balanced match · September
September
- High
- 64°F
- Low
- 50°F
- Rain
- 11 days
- Crowds
- Low
Some weather measures are unavailable. Gaps in the chart mean no data.
Off season can mean fewer services. Confirm what is open for your dates.
Southern regional averages · Historical patterns, not a forecast. Gaps mean no data. Crowds compare months within this region.
The busiest month records 6.6 times the overnight stays of the quietest.
No month reaches a very-good weather score. Poor weather scores: October to April.
Peak-season months: August. Low-season months: September and November to March.
The two busiest months account for 35% of annual overnight stays.
Nonstop flights from the US (2024): all year, from New York JFK, Boston, Newark and Chicago.
On the 2024 EU comparison, Ireland's restaurants and hotels are above EU average.
Before you go
Pack a little context.
Good weather
June, outside the busy season.
No month rates very good. July has the highest displayed weather score (5.5/10). Highest weather score outside the busy season: June.
Lower prices
December to February.
These are three lower-price months on Ireland's historical 2024–2025 national hotel index. It cannot identify this region's cheapest bookable rooms.
School holidays
School breaks span different visitor seasons.
If your dates follow US school breaks: June falls in moderate season; July falls in busy season; August falls in peak season. Spring break spans low season in March and moderate season in April.
Local school holiday dates are unavailable in our calendar; this does not mean schools are open.
About these answers
These are historical seasonal patterns. Crowds compare a month with this place's own busiest month; they do not measure queues at individual sights. Weather answers use the displayed weather scores. These seasonal facts stay the same when you change your priorities; your Overall recommendation updates above. Prices retain the scope stated beside them. Full methodology.
Choose your season
The year, season by season.
Winter
Dec–Feb
Low season throughout.
48–50°FAfternoon highs
Spring
Mar–May
A quieter start, a busier finish.
March falls in low season; April and May fall in moderate season.
52–61°FAfternoon highs
Summer
Jun–Aug
A quieter start, a busier finish.
June falls in moderate season; July falls in busy season; August falls in peak season.
66–68°FAfternoon highs
Autumn
Sep–Nov
Visitor levels change through the season.
September falls in low season; October falls in moderate season; November falls in low season.
52–64°FAfternoon highs
Ranges span monthly average afternoon highs, not daily extremes. Conditions and seasonal openings vary within The south of Ireland.
How we know
The default Balanced Overall weighs weather 50%, crowds 30% and cost 20%. Your priority choice updates the Overall, month ranks and recommendation. While your weather weight is at least 40%, Overall cannot exceed weather by more than 2. Close scores can describe different trip experiences. How the scores work.
| Statistical region | IE05 · Southern |
| Region type | Beach (Eurostat NUTS3 typologies weighted by population: urban 0%, coastal 100%, mountain 0%; median ground height 99 m) |
| Population used | 1.8 million (1 January 2025) |
| Crowd reference years | 2024–2025 average |
| How our weather was checked | 29 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.1°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C). |
| Climate index | HCI:Beach, observed climatology over 15 years (2011–2025) |
| Hotel occupancy (annual) | 76% |
| Accommodation mix | 58% hotels, 8% camping |
| Country price level (restaurants & hotels, EU27 = 100) | 129 |
| Daylight latitude | 52.34° N |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by month and NUTS 2 region, per 1,000 inhabitants, divided by days in the month. "Season here" is the month's figure as a share of this region's busiest month. "Visitors" ranks overnight visitors per resident against all Europe's regions that month. Weather: Holiday Climate Index (Scott et al. 2016; Rutty et al. 2020) computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records and population-weighted to the region. Prices are national. Hand-written notes are marked and nothing depends on them. Full method · this region's data.