Season guide · Dublin · Ireland
Dublin in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Daffodils, St Patrick's Festival and lengthening days; showers are frequent, but May is often sunny. Expect highs up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 31 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 31
- Sea
- 8°C (46°F) to 11°C (52°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 10°C (50°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 11 | 11.7 h | 4/5 |
| April | 13°C (55°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 10 | 13.9 h | 3/5 |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 10 | 15.8 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 13°C (55°F) against a yearly 13°C (55°F), and 31 of the year's roughly 132 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: St Patrick's Festival and parade (around 17 March)
- April: Easter Rising commemoration at the GPO (Easter Sunday)
- May: Dublin Dance Festival (usually May)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Trinity College
Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Trinity College, founded in 1592, keeps the Book of Kells, a ninth-century illuminated Gospel manuscript, at its Old Library.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · The Liberties
Guinness Storehouse
Take the first slot of the morning to reach the Gravity Bar before it fills, and try pouring your own pint at the Guinness Academy.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Rainy day
- Food
Historic site · Kilmainham
Kilmainham Gaol
This former prison held Irish rebels from 1798 onwards, and 14 leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed in its Stonebreakers' Yard.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Kildare Street
National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology
Combine it with the National Gallery and Merrion Square, all within a five-minute walk.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Gallery · Georgian Quarter
National Gallery of Ireland
Ireland's national art collection on Merrion Square spans European Old Masters and Irish art, including Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ, Vermeer's Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid and a room devoted to Jack B.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
Day trips in spring
- Howth (About 30 minutes by DART) — A fishing village on a rocky peninsula at the northern tip of Dublin Bay, with a cliff path around Howth Head looking out to Ireland's Eye and the Baily Lighthouse, seals in the harbour and seafood restaurants along the West Pier.
- Glendalough (About 1–1.5 hours by car or bus) — A sixth-century monastic site founded by St Kevin, with a 30-metre round tower and stone churches, set in a glacial valley with two lakes in Wicklow Mountains National Park.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Dublin?
Yes: May is among the best months. Daffodils, St Patrick's Festival and lengthening days; showers are frequent, but May is often sunny.
+What is the weather like in Dublin in spring?
Highs of up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 31 rainy days over the season.