Things to Do in Ireland in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
May Weather in Ireland
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
60°F (16°C)
High Temp
46°F (8°C)
Low Temp
0.1 inches (3 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is May Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Purple and yellow hillsides from Killarney to Connemara, rhododendrons and gorse explode across the countryside. Photographers travel specifically to capture them.
- + Daylight holds until 9:30 PM, enough time for a quick hike up Diamond Hill after work, then straight to Dingle's pubs where locals still outnumber tourists.
- + Rates crash 25-30% after summer peaks yet every attraction stays open, you'll finally snag a room in those cliff-edge B&Bs along the Wild Atlantic Way that lock solid from June onward.
- + Spring lamb hits its stride right now. From Kinsale to Westport, restaurants dish up meat from animals that grazed on the same salt-sprayed fields you'll drive past, terroir you can taste.
Considerations
- − Atlantic storms barrel in without warning, horizontal rain that turns denim into wet cardboard in minutes. Coastal roads become temporary rivers.
- − 11°C (52°F) water. Brutal. Surfers pad up in 5mm wetsuits every month, and your swim plans? They'll shift to a bar stool.
- − Don't bank on a pint midweek. Some rural pubs run reduced hours until summer, the tiny bars in Doolin or Roundstone might simply lock up Tuesday-Thursday.
Best Activities in May
Top things to do during your visit
May in Ireland means longer days and a cool, damp light good for wandering. The Atlantic winds soften. You will catch the scent of cut grass and damp earth. While the big Bloomsday Festival is in June, you can feel its anticipation simmering in Dublin's bookshops and pubs. This is a month for movement. Trace stone walls across the green fields of Ireland. Feel the sea spray on your face before the summer crowds arrive. Expect mild days and cool nights. Rain is possible but often fleeting, leaving the air clean and the greens intensely saturated. Locals are out tending gardens full of rhododendron and hawthorn blossom. In coastal villages, they prepare boats for the season. You are witnessing a land waking up. Historic sites are accessible. Walking paths are quiet. Towns hum with a renewed, easygoing energy. It is one of the most favorable times for a personal itinerary across the island.
Cliffs of Moher, Burren and Galway City Day Tour
guided_experienceYou will stand on the Cliffs of Moher. Feel the raw wind whip up from the sea. Hear the frantic cries of nesting puffins and guillemots. The journey continues through the otherworldly limestone pavements of the Burren. Rare alpine and Mediterranean flowers cling to the cracks there. It concludes on the lively, colorful streets of Galway City, where traditional music spills from open pub doorways.
This tour packs the dramatic contrast between Ireland's wild western edge and its most charismatic urban Gaeltacht into a single, easy day.
Insider tip: Request a window seat on the coach's left side for the best, unobstructed views of the cliffs on the southern approach.
This month: The extended daylight hours in May allow more time exploring Galway City before the return journey.
Kilkenny, Wicklow & Glendalough Tour & Sheepdog Show
entertainmentYou will explore the narrow, cobbled streets of Kilkenny under its stark Norman castle. Then you wind through the forested valleys of Wicklow, where the air is cool and pine-scented. It ends at the glacial valley of Glendalough. Its round tower reflects in dark lake waters. The tour includes a demonstration of border collies herding sheep across a green field.
It pairs the profound silence of early Christian ruins with the dynamic, whistled commands of a traditional sheepdog trial.
Insider tip: After the sheepdog show, take the short walk to the Upper Lake at Glendalough for a view that feels private.
Full-Day Cliffs of Moher and Burren Guided Tour
day_tripIt brings you directly to the edge of Europe. You will spend good time walking the cliff paths. Watch Atlantic swells crash against the rock face. Feel the spray mist your face. The guide then leads you into the heart of the Burren. This gray limestone desert crackles underfoot. It shelters tiny, bright flowers in its grikes. The guide explains its unique ecology and archaeological treasures.
For those wanting the raw power and quiet mystery of the Clare coast, this tour offers depth and context.
Insider tip: Wear sturdy, waterproof shoes with grip. The cliff paths and Burren limestone can be slippery and uneven, after rain.
Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Cruise
cruiseYou view their full, staggering rise from a boat deck. You will sail from Doolin, hearing the engine's thrum and waves crashing against the hull. Then you approach the sheer rock face where thousands of seabirds wheel and cry. The itinerary typically includes landing on one of the Aran Islands. There you can cycle past stone-walled fields, smell peat smoke, and hear the Irish language spoken in shops.
Seeing the Cliffs of Moher from the sea floor upwards is the only way to grasp their true scale. The Aran Islands show a traditional way of life.
Insider tip: Book the earliest sailing of the day to maximize your time on the Aran Islands and for calmer seas.
Boyne Valley with Newgrange and Bru Na Boinne Entry
otherYou will cross a modern bridge over the River Boyne to enter the Neolithic complex of Brú na Bóinne. It is older than the pyramids. Inside the passage tomb of Newgrange, you feel dense, silent darkness. You see intricate spiral carvings lit by a single beam. You then explore the surrounding mounds dotting the low-lying pastures.
It grants access to the interior of Newgrange, a profound encounter with a 5,000-year-old monument built with celestial precision.
Insider tip: Access to Newgrange's chamber is by timed ticket only due to strict limits. Secure your tour reservation well in advance.
Dublin LGBTQ Pride Historical and Cultural Walking Tour
culturalYou will trace a path from hidden meeting places to modern celebrations. You hear stories of resilience and community. You see the city's Georgian architecture through a different lens. The guide's narrative is personal, rooted in the lived experience of Ireland's LGBTQ community. It moves from solemn remembrance to joyful affirmation.
It transforms the familiar streets of Dublin into a map of an ongoing struggle for equality and identity.
Insider tip: The tour concludes in the creative quarter of Temple Bar. Ask your guide for a recommendation on a welcoming pub nearby.
Where to Stay in Ireland in May
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for May travellers.
May Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Mid-June
Bloomsday Festival
June 16th's closest weekend, Dublin doesn't just celebrate Joyce. It becomes Ulysses. You'll eat breakfast fry-ups on Sandymount Strand, crawl pubs tracing Leopold Bloom's exact route, and watch Edwardian costume competitions develop in real time. Hardcore fans? They read the entire novel aloud at the James Joyce Centre, 36 straight hours.
Early October
Kinsale Gourmet Festival
The harbor town that invented Irish fine dining simply shuts down, completely, for one weekend. Chefs collaborate. Foragers lead walks. Seafood masters teach classes. Local boats haul the day's catch straight into converted warehouses, now temporary kitchens.
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View Ireland Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Skip the booking sites, ring the B&Bs yourself. They'll lock in your dinner table at the local restaurants and tell you which pubs have trad music that night.
Skip the souvenir shops. Tesco and Dunnes sell everything cheaper, picnic supplies, rain gear, the lot.
Grab the AA Roadwatch app, rural roads flood fast and locals post live updates on closures.
Bank of Ireland ATMs in villages often run out of cash on weekends, hit machines in larger towns before heading rural.
Avoid These Mistakes
Google Maps lies. On coastal drives, add 50% to every ETA, photo stops and sheep on roads will eat that time alive. The Ring of Kerry proves this rule daily.
Dublin's security lines stretch 45 minutes minimum, book same-day connections and you'll miss them. Shannon's fog delays are legendary.
Ordering Irish coffee before dinner - locals consider it a dessert drink and you'll get odd looks at 6 PM
Don't assume every pub dishes up dinner, plenty of rural ones just pull pints. Eat before you roll up or you'll face a 30-minute haul to the next village.
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