Weather, late Sept/early Oct.

It's not possible to accurately predict weather far in advance, so it's impossible to answer your weather-related questions.

Statistically speaking, of course the greatest chance for sunny weather in mid-summer. But that doesn't mean it's gonna rain every day during other months. The chance of rain increases through September and into the winter months but it all comes down to luck.

I got sunburned a few years ago in July while biking on Inishmor and hiking on Great Blasket, but I was in Iceland (somewhat similar weather) in July this year and we got rain every day (sometimes constant, hard rain, sometimes off and on). There are no guarantees with the weather. The rain you get and the conditions of trails depends (to a large degree) on luck.

My suggestions would be to prepare well (as well as you can) for whatever weather might happen. Have a Plan B in case it's raining cats and dogs all day. Hopefully you won't need it.

We never had to make any advance reservations for anything in Ireland (even in July) except for the boat out to Skellig Michael.

David, regarding your statement: "We never had to make any advance reservations for anything in Ireland (even in July) except for the boat out to Skellig Michael."

Does that include accommodations? I sure hope so! What year were you there? Which did you use: traditional B&Bs, hotels, AirBnBs, campsites?

My most recent experience (a month-long, solo bike trip in July and August of 2022) was quite unlike every prior trip, as, on the advice of others, I reserved 30 nights of B&Bs in advance and got the leftovers (granted, I also started late). And, being toward the end of Covid just after restrictions were lifted, most restaurants were short-staffed and/or open only on certain days of the week (some had also closed), mandating advance dinner reservations in many places.

I can't directly speak for conditions since 2022, but that experience was vastly different than our nine previous multi-week trips (1988-2007) when we just showed up in town anywhere in the country, knocked on a door or two and had a room within minutes. During that period, Ireland had some 4,000 B&Bs. But since about 2010, that number has dropped by about 80%, and the predominance of the Internet has just about killed off the degree of flexibility we enjoyed for years. Today, everyone it seems reserves B&B and other rooms months in advance. On top of that, 50,000 or so Ukrainian refugees in Ireland make for a lot of competition.

I'm not doubting your experience, but please tell us how you did it! I'm planning to go back next year, but in the spring this time.

Slainte!

Does that include accommodations? I sure hope so! What year were you
there? Which did you use: traditional B&Bs, hotels, AirBnBs,
campsites?

Oh, we definitely reserved every overnight accommodation. Sorry, I assumed that goes without saying. We were there in 2019. We stayed mostly in traditional B&Bs and Inns. One hotel in Dublin, one AirBnB when we found no other option. No camping.

Yes, COVID and post-COVID certainly changed lots of things. Yep, most everything is more crowded now.

I've always (well, for at least the past 20 years) been a stickler for having every night's accommodations nailed down long in advance of leaving home. I learned (and relearned) this lesson over time. Have concluded that being "locked in" to a committed schedule (or accoms) actually provides greater freedom than just "winging it"...when "winging it" I've ended up wasting hours into the dark of the night chasing a room I could live with (at a price I could live with). I'd much rather spend those 2-3 hours sitting in a cafe sipping wine, enjoying pasta, and watching people - rather than calling, driving around, scrounging for a room.

That said, I'm still highly resistant to making dinner reservations in advance (even at home). I'll make an exception for someplace special once in a while, but typically I figure there's plenty of good food just down the street at places where no reservations are needed. This is an ongoing negotiation with the spouse...

I typically plan my trips months in advance. We book our long-haul flights with points and miles, so those usually need to be booked 11-12 months in advance or we can't book them at all (I just booked flights to Bali last night for a trip in late August 2027; I'm in the research stages for flights to New Zealand in November 2027 and Uzbekistan in Spring of 2028 - but those are flights that are particularly challenging; getting to Dublin is pretty simple!).

Once I have flights, I start booking accoms almost as soon as I have our itinerary finalized (I just finished booking accoms for a November trip to Japan - very late for us; I'm currently booking accoms for Egypt in February and Peru in April...). But this "early booking" obsession is nothing new for me, it's how I've done things for decades. If anything, I've become more committed to it recently (in part because we are traveling more often, and I don't like leaving "loose ends" on upcoming trips while I'm planning others of them deeper into the calendar).

Nothing wrong with doing it other ways, I'm just somewhat obsessed with planning...

The side-trip to Skellig Michael was the exception, and was challenging: the operators can't accept bookings until they get some green light from a government agency, and that only happens in late winter/early spring. So I was hanging on them, waiting for the OK to book just weeks before we were to be there. And the operator I wanted regularly sold out. So it require more patience than most things. But it worked out in the end. If you go back to southwest Ireland, that's a great trip to add!! (The three greatest highlights of our trip were Inismor, Great Blasket, and Skellig Michael...all islands!).

Definitley book accommodation well in advance, especially in popular areas. You amy well get away with it in cities with a lot of choice of accommodation but even then, you may find the more popular places are booked. Increasingly people are booking early. Long gone are the days of 'winging it' although late September/early October won't be as popukar as high season.

Ditto popular boat trips where there is a limit to the number of people they can take.

If there is a restaurant you are desperate to visit, it is wortth booking in advance.

David, thanks for the clarification...but not for dashing my (unrealistic) hopes! All our trips - foreign and domestic - are by bicycle, a means of travel and adventure for which flexibility and serendipity are not only natural, inherent features but at times necessities and travel enrichers. Whether camping, hosteling or B&B-ing, having that freedom of choice helped make every trip more of our own.

Now, back to planning ahead for those B&Bs next spring!

Does the rain fall steadily and/or hard or just intermittently or softly? A few hours or days at a time?

Yes. Unless it doesn’t rain at all.

Summer rain in Ireland has historically been near-daily, light and on and off throughout the day and days comfortably cool. Until climate change began affecting the world, that is. In four weeks of biking in 2022, it rained - sporadically - for only two or three days and temperatures were at times in the 70s and 80s!.

Hi rlwhitmore2,
Weather in Ireland is unpredictable. We were there this past October and it was gray with intermittent sun breaks. It sprinkled a bit, was windy and cool-ish. But, we go to Ireland often (a few times a year) and I'd say dress in layers, pack for wind, rain, cool, sunshine, warmth...really anything but snow.

Sept/Oct is not peak season but there still will be plenty of tourists.

As for lodging, I typically book B&B's ahead as the best ones book quickly. However, hotels are a different story as I have booked many hotels last minute. This past October I booked my Galway hotel 3 weeks before our arrival with no problems. Then in March this year I booked a night in Dublin the day of arrival at a Hilton (and again did the same thing this past June.) This July (peak season) I booked a RS favorite, the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, a week before our arrival.

Activities in Ireland are rarely something I book more than a day or two in advance unless it's something that I absolutely must do during that specific visit (I prebooked Skellig Michael to go in July; prebooked a hawk walk at Ireland School of Falconry also for a July visit as 2 examples.) Inis Mor, Dingle Sheep experience, Bunratty castle, Cliffs of Moher, etc. we did not book ahead (and we visited these during the peak summer months.) Most restaurants I either just show up, book the day of, or maybe a day ahead. So far, we have had no problems getting a table.

With all this said, my personal opinion is to do whatever makes you most comfortable. If prebooking helps you enjoy your vacation more than I say do it. And I hope you have a great visit to Ireland!

Sláinte