Ireland in March

Who is "we"? What are your interests? Why have you chosen Kilkenny, Dingle and Galway? Do you plan to rent a car? One way to determine how much time you need a particular location is to make a list of the places and things you want to see and do, research how much time those normally take, and do the math.
I was in Ireland with a friend in March 2025, and we had pretty much all the weather. A couple of sunny days that started quite cold and warmed up enough that we took our jackets off while sitting in the sun. Mostly it was overcast and low 50s. I am from the Northwest, so this is our normal most of the year. It did rain quite steadily one day in Dublin, but we were mostly indoors.
Newgrange is easily done as a day trip from Dublin, but if you're returning a rental car at the airport, you might think about staying your last night in that area (Drogheda, Malahide, Trim).

G3rryCee-I am sorry that I didn't give enough info. I will be with my husband until the students leave, then my brother in law and sister will join us. We will be renting a car once we leave Dublin.
I like a mix of nature and history and prefer to stay in places that we can walk to restaurants, shops, and pubs. The places I chose seem to meet those needs. I am open to other places, but I do like the idea of walking instead of having to get back in the car and find parking.
I like the idea of listing what we want to see and "doing the math." As the trip planner, this forum has been a wonderful resource. I appreciate your advice.

One word of caution about Kilkenny: driving in the city center is not for the faint of heart. This is probably also true in Galway, though I'm less familiar with it.

Just a note that this is a lot of driving. Highways can be very narrow and twisty (I mean main highways, some of them, not just side roads). Dublin to Galway is a toll road, as is the Dublin beltway. There’s at least one toll Dingle to Kilkenny.

I just did these 3 cities, honestly there isn’t enough variation to do them all. I’d pick Kilkenny and something in the SW and drop Galway. Early June was gloomy and 10 days rainy/no sun. It gets old, 6 days is enough.

Hi Segger67,
We go a few times a year to Ireland and I think March is a fine time of year to go. It will be less crowded (outside of Dublin) and some tourist attractions may not be open. But there is still lots to do. Personally, I like driving in Ireland and have never found it to be a problem (except avoid driving in Dublin as that traffic is rough). I do not recommend driving right away if you are coming from outside of Europe--give yourself a few days to get over jetlag.
Packing in March is like most of the year: layers. I always have a fleece coat, waterproof rain jacket (also doubles as a windbreaker), long sleeved thermal, t-shirts, comfortable shoes, etc.
We've been to all the places you've listed. Newgrange, for us, was a daytrip from Dublin (actually we were staying in Malahide that time.) You could take the bus or train from Dublin to Galway then pick a car up there to start your driving journey.
I'd suggest checking out the websites of the activities you want to do and verify their hours of operation in March.
I found in the shoulder seasons like March/April we are able to be much more flexible with our schedule as there are fewer tourists.
Enjoy your visit!

I am with Kimberly, with the exception that I have not been in March - but I have been in Nov., with short days. You never know what the weather will hand you, so you do have to be ready to be flexible with plans. But you will already be there, so it’s great to take some extra days to see more!

I also like the cities you have chosen. Galway offers the chance for day trips and restaurants at night. Dingle less so. Kilkenny was unexpected for me and I wished I’d had 2 nights there instead of one. I’d say consider Killarney - I know some people think it’s too touristy (and this might be a plus in March), but I like it and it’s easy to get around with some lovely nature right at your doorstep, but plenty of restaurants for the long evenings. Possibly you are visiting there with the kids, though.

Driving isn’t too bad once you get started but you will want to plan around not driving after dark (which makes having a location for your evenings more important). And keep in mind driving in the rain can be an added stressor. Absolutely don’t drive in Dublin (but leaving the airport is like freeway driving in the U.S.). I didn’t drive much in Galway, but left with a rental car from right by the bus station - not hard. Kilkenny I stayed slightly out of town and walked 10 min.into the city, but I did visit a couple of churches in the city by car first- tricky but if you don’t start there, it should be fine. Dingle to Kilkenny is a long drive when days are short - might be another reason for an overnight somewhere to break that up.

However, you COULD consider doing the trip by bus and supplement with day tours. For that, you would have to check availability. Busses in Ireland are nice.

If you keep these 3 cities, I’d say 3 nights Galway, 2 nights Dingle (because it’s March), 3 nights Kilkenny, 1 night Dublin before flying. If you have 10 nights, as opposed to 10 days, add a night between Dingle and Kilkenny. If you keep your drives @ 2 hours, you can add in some nice stops between cities.

We all have different experiences and opinions, but it can be a great trip! I know people who went for a similar trip in March last year and they had a wonderful time.

Enjoy!