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CHANGE OF SEASON: Why Ireland is the most delightful year-round destination

If you think Ireland is just for summertime stays then you’ve got the wrong end of the hurling stick, with the Emerald Isle a captivating place for holidaymaking in any season of the year.

If you think Ireland is just for summertime stays then you’ve got the wrong end of the hurling stick, with the Emerald Isle a captivating place for holidaymaking in any season of the year.

GRAB a hammer, because it’s time to smash some myths.

While it’s true that visiting Ireland in the summer months is truly stunning, it’s equally amazing to explore Ireland all year round.

Travelling in the off-season can mean cheaper airfares, fewer crowds, more affordable food and accommodation costs plus there is something magical about seeing this dynamic destination, no matter the time of year.

In fact, there is no ‘perfect season’ to schedule a sojourn across the island of Ireland. Ireland has something to offer travellers arriving every day of the diary, with a packed program of events and festivals making it a year-round destination.

Here are four reasons – we call them Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn – why Ireland is a location worth lingering in, regardless of the page on the calendar.

 

CHILL OUT IN WINTER

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While cosy pubs and chic coffee shops call during the cold season, the great outdoors can’t be ignored with locations such as the Mourne Mountains, Connemara Roundstone Bog Conservation Drive and Beara Peninsula being just some of Ireland’s wintertime wonderlands.

And the winter solstice provides another excuse for a big night with Slieve Gullion in County Armagh and County Tyrone’s Beaghmore two tempting tourism targets on the shortest day.

 

PUT SOME SPRING IN YOUR STEP

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Make the most of longer light when the springtime sunshine appears by strolling one of the trails that criss-cross this rambler’s paradise, pausing in a historic garden packed with flowering blooms, or visiting a sheep farm during lambing season.

Spring also hosts one of Ireland’s favourite festivals with every settlement celebrating St Patrick during fun days filled with musicians playing rollicking tunes and parades packed with costume-clad revellers.

 

SUMMER LOVING

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It’s not hard to sell a summertime trip, but there’s more to do than gobbling gourmet goodies at the Taste of West Cork Food Festival or toe-tapping at the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival.

The long days are ripe for road tripping – navigate the Causeway Coastal Route or Ireland’s Ancient East once you’ve conquered the Wild Atlantic Way – or join a local mariner to island-hop a quiet corner of the coast.

 

FALL IN LOVE WITH AUTUMN

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Halloween was invented in Ireland, making it the spot for those seeking October 31 spooky stuff, while Dublin’s Bram Stoker Festival a few days earlier extends the fearful frivolity.

But there’s more to the festival fun because autumn is the busy season for events with the Dublin Theatre Festival, Belfast International Arts Festival, Cork Jazz Festival, Wexford Festival Opera, Savour Kilkenny and the Kinsale Gourmet Festival all in the diary.

 

FILL YOUR HEART

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Keep current on Ireland’s news – from destination developments to product updates, and even the opportunity to snag a spot on the ultimate Ireland famil – by signing up to receive Tourism Ireland’s trade-ezine here.

Or discover more details on the different seasons in this year-round destination by consulting the Tourism Ireland website here.

 

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