I am making an assumption that umbrellas will be cheap and plentiful to obtain throughout Ireland? I am not sure the 4 of us want to lug umbrellas along. Or...are they generally expensive because they know they have you kind of stuck?
(we all have some rain gear and water resistant/proof shoes but there might be times when we aren't wearing it and get nailed.
I'm not sure that Ireland is going to be that different in weather than the Pacific Northwest. Hardly anyone carries umbrellas here. Invest in a good jacket with a hood. This leaves your hands free, keeps you from hitting others with your umbrella, and gives you a better line of sight.
If you find you need an umbrella, I am confident they are for sale!
If you have good rain gear with a hood you shouldn't need an umbrella except perhaps to keep your camera dry if you use something other than a phone for photos. Btw waterproof shoes are a good idea as well
Vick,
Yes, very good advice the two previous posters gave you. Ireland can be extremely windy, so an umbrella (even a sturdy, well-make one) can become a victim of the wind all too easily.
A hooded jacket with a hood that projects out over your face (or glasses a bit) is best. And, for really rainy days, you might even want to wear a ballcap under the hood.
I'd recommend a light fleece jacket, and then a separate light hooded rain jacket to wear over that....and maybe one that folds up so you don't have to lug a heavy jacket.
We took our own and used them, but we were on the RS tour. If you're driving yourself you have more flexibility for taking cover. I took them because I wanted to make sure they were compact enough to slide into my purse when not in use. I am guessing that you're going to be paying the same price as local residents, since they don't have umbrella vendors popping out when the rain starts like they do in Italy.
I try not to collect umbrellas or buy cheap ones overseas that won't last....I have a great compact travel umbrella and it goes with me on all my trips (it withstands flipping and wind very well because it is constructed differently than regular umbrellas). Check it out:
https://www.amazon.com/EEZ-Y-Windproof-Construction-Compact-Umbrella/dp/B01AU292NS/ref=sr_1_1?m=ABW9N9WHXR0YQ&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1494427981&sr=1-1
Agnes
Thanks for the link to the umbrellas on Amazon. They are on sale right now for $22.95 with an additional 10% off if you buy two.
I just bought two, one for myself and another for my girlfriend for our upcoming Ireland trip.
Michelle,
I hope they work out for you - glad to be of help!
(PS. this is the compact version, although they also sell a much larger size as well)
We brought our own.. just the small compact ones that take next to no space and we did use them in Dublin and Galway
Ditto the thanks to Agnes for posting the info about the windproof umbrella. (That will be on my holiday list for Santa.)
Vick, I would recommend giving that umbrella a try.
We never experienced heavy rain (although that definitely happens), but even light rain can be a pain if you wear glasses.
I do wish you a trip with NO rain, though. We only had light rain for about an hour one evening during our week+ trip, but it was windy often in late August. But, some days it just felt damp.
I would suggest bringing a rain poncho or a waterproof jacket. We found umbrellas to be useless in Ireland in windy conditions.
