Ireland Weather in May - Is 45% chance of rain mean it will all day?

I find that the predicted rain amount is far more helpful than the percentages and so I’ve started tracking on those for my outfit plans.

Most forecasts aren’t that reliable so far out - what website are you using? The west coast is likely to be wetter than the east coast, so rain levels will vary depending on where you are staying.

I would use the Irish Met Office or BBC forecasts, neither of which indicate a 45% chance of rain on Wednesday.

Rainfall in April was generally significantly below average. Average weather websites are becoming pointless, as there is no such thing as average these days.

The number actually means it will rain in 45% of the region. That means there’s a 55% chance it won’t rain in a particular location in the same region. In other words. almost half of the town will see some rain, and almost half will not.
Accuweather is only forecasting 2 days of rain after May 11- - the 12th and the 18th- for Dublin during May.

My experience with Ireland has been that days predicted as "Sunny" only have 2 or 3 brief showers. It's never torrential and it's not cold in the summer. Wear layers. Include a light, waterproof jacket. Embrace the "fine, soft day."

Well, there's a reason why Ireland is famous for its "forty shades of green".
During our visits the Spring rains were usually in the form of intermittent showers with frequent sunny periods even on the wettest days - ie never saw it socked in for several days as can be the case in the Pacific NW.
Best advice is to plan for the worst and hope for the best - Goretex and layers are your friends.

...rains were usually in the form of intermittent showers with frequent sunny periods even on the wettest days... never saw it socked in for several days...plan for the worst and hope for the best - Goretex and layers are your friends.

Very well said. Also, keep a pair of warm dry socks in your day bag. They've saved the day several times.

Thanks to all of you!
It’s just the year to go with the flow, be thankful we can even go as of today, be flexible and hold on 🤞❣️🙂

As a veteran of the dreary rain in the northwest, I suggest using a weather app that provides an hourly forecast that shows both the chance of rain and predicted amounts. I like Weather Underground, here's an example for Dublin on May 12 that shows light showers throughout the day with barely a spritz of rain (where I live got 0.75 inches of rain in the past 12 hours - 0.01 inches is nothing!) As others have said take a good waterproof outer layer with a hood. Duck in a pub for a pint and wait out any rain shower, you might just meet someone interesting!

Thanks for the dry socks heads up!

The Emerald Isle is green because of rain. Expect some rain and wind especially if you are along the Atlantic Way.

Living on the west coast we are used to rain and layering our clothes. Bring a waterproof jacket and a fleece. Even though I had both I had to buy an additional vest for warmth.

Ireland is wonderful and you can always buy clothes if needed. Have a great time