Ireland in March: what to expect

March is the tail of winter, not the start of spring. Air temperatures climb slowly: expect daytime highs near 10 °C and night lows around 3 °C in Dublin and the east, with the south-west a degree or two milder and the west coast windier. Frost is possible inland on clear nights, and snow is rare but not unknown on high ground in Wicklow, Kerry and Donegal.

Rain is the constant. The east (Dublin, Wicklow, Kilkenny, the Boyne Valley) is the driest part of the country; Galway, Clare, Mayo and Donegal see rain on most days, though usually in short showers rather than all-day downpours. Atlantic swells can close cliff paths and island ferries, so treat Aran Islands and Skellig trips as weather-dependent.

Daylight is the big gain. Mid-March gives roughly 11.5 hours of light, and when the clocks go forward on the last Sunday of the month, evenings stretch to about 8pm. That is enough for a full day of driving and one long stop, which is not true in January or February.

March splits cleanly in two. From 1–13 March and from about 19 March onwards, Ireland is close to its quietest: guesthouses in the west have rooms, car hire is cheap, and you can walk into most pubs and restaurants without a booking. Prices sit at winter levels, often 30–40% below July and August.

St Patrick's week is the exception. The Dublin festival runs over several days around 17 March, parades fill every town, and hotels in Dublin and other cities sell out at peak-season rates. If you want the parade, book accommodation two to three months ahead and expect to pay summer prices for a winter room.

Easter can also fall in late March (Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026, so 2027 is the next late-March case). When it does, the Easter weekend is busy and some businesses close on Good Friday.

St Patrick's Day on 17 March is the anchor of the month. Dublin runs a multi-day festival with a parade, music and street events; most towns and villages hold their own smaller parade, often on the day itself. It is a public holiday, so banks, many shops and some attractions close or run reduced hours.

St Patrick's week also brings trad music sessions into pubs that do not normally host them, and the Dublin parade draws the biggest crowds of the month. Outside that week, March is a thin month for festivals: this is the quiet stretch before the Easter and summer calendars start.

The clocks going forward on the last Sunday of March is worth planning around — you gain an hour of evening light, which changes what you can fit into a driving day.

Base yourself in Dublin for two or three nights and use the city's museums, pubs and covered sights as your wet-weather plan. The east is the driest region, so day trips to Glendalough, the Boyne Valley and Kilkenny are the safest bets for a dry walk.

For the west, Galway is the practical base: the city works in any weather, and Connemara, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are day trips when the sky clears. Expect wind and showers, and check ferry and cliff-path status before setting out. The Aran Islands are reachable in March but sailings are weather-dependent.

In the south-west, Killarney and Dingle give you the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula with almost no coach traffic — a genuine advantage over July and August. Cork and Kinsale suit a shorter city-and-coast stop. Skip the offshore islands and exposed coastal walks if a storm is forecast; save them for May onwards.

Pack for wet and cold, not for spring. A waterproof shell with a hood, a warm mid-layer, and shoes that keep water out matter more than anything else. Bring a small umbrella for cities and a dry bag or cover for your phone and camera.

Layers beat a single heavy coat: a 10 °C day with wind and rain feels much colder than the number suggests, and pub and museum interiors are warm. Add a hat and gloves for coastal walks and evening strolls.

If you are driving, budget for short daylight and narrow roads, and keep a torch or phone light handy for unlit rural lanes. For a fuller list, see the Ireland packing list.

February is colder, darker and cheaper, with the St Brigid's Day bank holiday at the start. April brings lambs, longer days and a clear step up in weather, though Easter weekend is busy. May is often the driest and sunniest month of the year and a stronger choice if your dates are flexible.

If you are weighing the whole year, the best time to visit Ireland page compares all twelve months. If you are building a route, the Ireland itinerary page covers how to split Dublin with the west or the south-west.