Ireland in October

My husband and I visited Ireland at the end of October, early November in 2005. For the most part things were still open and we did not have a lack of things to do. There were a few things that were shut down that we were interested in, but they could easily be replaced by something similar that was still open. One thing to consider though is that it does get dark much earlier so that can cut into their sightseeing time and it is a bit more difficult to drive the already challenging roads at night, but it can definitely be done! The weather when we were there was actually beautiful. We had a good share of sunny days which can be unusual in Ireland. We also had some really rainy ones, but it wouldn't have been Ireland if it hadn't rained. Most B&B's are still open at this time of the year so they shouldn't have any problems there and it is a bit less crowded because it is off-season for tourists, which I prefer. Let me know if you have any other questions, I love to talk about our trip!

Hello Amber,
I am the friend that Sarah was posting about. My fiance and I hope to take our honeymoon in October 2008, so we don't want to rush around too much. We have 14 days and plan to rent a car once we leave Dublin.

Would you suggest keeping within the south/southwest? We have tentative plans to fly into Dublin and I'd really like to see Kilkenny and Killarney.

What other sites are "must see"?

Thanks!

Things that close down for the winter typically don't do so until November 1, so they should be fine. Some B&Bs close over the winter, but an increasing number do not. Some historic sites might have limited tour hours or hours/days of operation, but things should be open.

We visited Ireland (west coast from Galway to Cork)last October and found places on reduced, low-season hours but nothing was shut down. As another poster said, November 1 is the common date for that to happen.

We were in Ireland late Sept/early Oct 2007 and everything was open. Had good weather too!

Andra: If you want to focus on the south/southwest you could fly in to/out of Shannon. Or, if you want to see Dublin, you could fly into either Dublin or Shannon and out the other. Driving from Dublin to the southwest and then back again would be kind of a pain (but do-able).

Andra, depending on where you are departing from, we are flying from JFK thru Heathrow back to Dublin and then Shannon. We leave direct from Shannon back to JFK. If you arrange something like this you can delay your flight from Dublin to Shannon and spend a few days seeing Dublin and not have to drive to the South area. Rental cars are available at the airport in Shannon. We will be there in October.

Andra:
The best part of Ireland is never closed... the scenary!
My mam is from Ireland, so I have traveled during high and low(off) season...and once January! (I didn't really believe her that sun comes up and goes down early until that trip)
The best part of going to Ireland 'off season', is that you feel like you have Ireland all to yourself, and trust me I have been there in the thick of summertime touring season just visiting my relations.
There usually are limited hours for tourity locations, but you can definately work around them and have a fantastic time.

I visited Ireland over Thanksgiving a few years ago, and nothing of any consequence was closed.

My husband and I did Ireland once in October and had gorgeous weather and few tourists. I just got back from a trip there in February as well. No worries - you'll hit good days and bad days but mostly you'll have nice weather.
If you have fourteen days, you can definitely cover the south and southwest. Do Kilkenny, Cashel, Kinsale and the Killarney and Dingle Peninsulas. However, if you have extra time and are flying ot of Shannon, consider heading up to Clare and the Burren Region. It's worth the trip to this unique area and you'll find fewer tourists here in October. Catch a ferry to the Aran Islands - they're delightfully quiet in the fall. Have fun!