Ireland in winter

Bring rain gear and layers. The early sunsets in January limit sightseeing time: sunset ~4:30, sunrise ~8:30. The good news: no lines. Typical January day-time temps are in low to mid-40's, not freezing, but damp/wet. Although it's colder there right now.

The weather will typically be a bit warmer here then you are used to in WNC. We just got snow last week here and temps have been below freezing..but that is unusual weather for this time of year. We also got snow last Christmas and New Years Eve..which was odd.

Thanks for the information. We're trying to decide whether having a baby with us and trying to keep her warm will add too much difficulty to the already more difficult task of traveling with a baby for the first time. :) We need to figure out what we want to see and decide what's doable.

I've been to Ireland twice in February, for the same reason as you, and only one day on each of those trips was really cold. The rest of the time it was misty/rainy, or sunny and warmish. I have seen flowers in bloom in late February, and even saw them mowing the grass at Newgrange at that time. As for whether it will be "too cold for a baby", there are babies in Ireland, too, and they seem to manage OK. As Debe said, it should be warmer there than you are used to, but you just never know with Ireland. Layers and rain gear should keep you comfortable. Have fun!

One thing to consider for traveling during that time period is visibility. In the winter, most of NW Europe has short days and mornings are often gray and foggy. The practical implications for a traveler are that the suggested itineraries developed for summer exploration of the country side won't work well. Visibility is much less of a problem in urban areas, so concentrate your sight-seeing there. Good to see that Steve... I mean, Juno... is now at least using quotation marks when using someone else's words.

The weather won't be too cold for the baby. But, I have to ask: have you traveled with a baby before? It's a dance between feeding, napping, changing and so on and it's not easy (i.e she needs a nap and you are at a castle). Then there's the plane trip, all the stuff you'll need to bring, disrupting her schedule, etc. No offense, but she won't remember the trip. You might want to think about the pros and cons of bringing her. Some examples are: Pro: you can see your beautiful daughter every day. :-) Con: Will she get anything out of the trip? Hmmm.... ANyway, just a few things to think about. I've found that when you travel with a baby, most of your plans go out the window!

DW raises some good practical questions. But I think if you can afford it and want to do it, go for it and travel with your infant. I agree with DW that your daughter won't notice or care that you took her on a trip, but if travel is and will continue to be important (and affordable) to you and your family over the years, you might as well get started now and develop good family travel habits. Even if developing a travel sense in your daughter is not part of your plan, clearly you and your husband want to get away, in which case it's either take your daughter, find other care for her while you're gone, or deprive yourselves of the trip. The first option will have its issues, the second will probably make you feel guilty, and the third isn't fair to you. I say go for it.

Realize, that with a baby you will be travelling and sightseeing around her schedule, not yours. So a lot more resting and strolling than running from sight to sight. Not arguing against it, its just a different type of vacation.

Ireland is likely to be wet, and I would think cooler than NC, despite someone else's advice to the contrary. As for travelling with a 7 month old. We travelled with a 9 month old many years ago (pre-disposable diapers!) from Jamaica to Mexico to Canada to US and back to Jamaica in about 6 weeks. SHe does not remember anything! We did not have any problem and jsut did what had to be done. Go for it. Babies are resliant.

Hi Becky, my husband and I are in Ireland now for 3 weeks and we've loved every minute of it. (BTW, we live in NC too, in Carrboro.) The downside to traveling off-season in Ireland is that many B&Bs, restaurants, and some tourist sites are closed for the winter or have shorter hours and close around 4pm...BUT we've never had a problem finding a great place to stay, eat or visit. The best part of traveling off season here: no lines and often nobody else at the usually crowded sites! We've loved having the Rock of Cashel and the like all to ourselves. We've often been the only guests at our B&B, too. We've been traveling at a relaxed pace, enjoying a leisurely breakfast, doing one major thing per day (e.g. driving the Dingle Peninsula or going to the Rock of Cashel) during daylight hours, and then window shopping/eating dinner/hanging out in a pub in the evening. It's been fabulous! Just don't plan to do more than about 1 thing per day, maybe 2 if you don't have to drive anywhere. And book your accommodations ahead of time. We're finishing up the driving portion of our trip tomorrow and will be renting a flat in Dublin for 9 days. With a baby, you might want to consider choosing a couple "home base" locations and renting a flat for several days - you'll have much more flexibility than with a B&B. Let me know if I can be of more help!

When traveling with baby, remember to ask airline about costs for the extras you will need to pack/stroller, car seat/port-a-crib, etc. We had friends who went to Italy and they were really blindsided with the cost for extra baggage.

Baby will be fine, but that damp Irish cold won't make you excited to be outside for too long at a time with baby. That damp cold just gets into your bones. How about Spain? That's where they think some of the early Irish came from anyway. You will all be a bit more comfortable and not always trying to warm up and dry off. I wouldn't say this if the baby was even 1, but at 7 months, sounds like a lot of work. It'll cost about $100 more per person for airfare to Madrid (versus Dub) in late Feb.

"That's where they think some of the early Irish came from anyway." Details, please.

Kent, I think what Michael is referring to is the fact that the northern Spaniards are also of Celtic extraction just like the Irish. It's the reason that northern Spanish prehistoric art looks just like what you find on neolithic sites in Ireland. The triskelles and other symbols are the same - all early Celtic symbols. It's also the reason that northern Spaniards aren't dark-haired and dark-eyed. They have lighter hair and light eyes. Asturias is the only area never conquered by the Moors. The people in that area are of Celtic and Roman origin.

The DNA doesn't lie. Studies have shown that the Irish are most closely related to people in the Basque region of Spain. Check your google machine. Here is one of many articles. http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/irishrootscafe/celtic-myth-exposed-by-dna-98830739.html

"Kent, I think what Michael is referring to is the fact that the northern Spaniards are also of Celtic extraction just like the Irish." It's actually a bit more than this. The theory (that is gaining wide acceptance) is that the early Irish migrated from the Iberian peninsula. I've had DNA testing done. It is interesting that while most people who are close genetic matches to me fit what is a called a "southern Irish" modal, there are a few individuals of Spanish descent too.

Thank you to Michael and Nancy for the details on that. Without knowing this, you wouldn't think there'd be a relationship between northern Spanish and Irish.

Just as an - we're still definitely going to Ireland, but have decided to wait until the spring when we won't have to worry about keeping warm as much and there will be more daylight. We took a recent trip a couple of hours from home for the weekend with our little girl and definitely got a small idea of how different traveling is with a baby. However, we both love to travel and are committed to enjoying the world with our family, babies included. :) Thanks for all the advice!