Ireland Weather

Average high in May is around 58F. Highest recorded temperature in Dublin for May is 80F, coldest is 22F. Average rainfall for the month is 3in or thereabouts.

Check out weatherbase.com. They have weather statistics for most places, including 20+ locations in Ireland.

Count on rain, followed by cloudy skies, followed by brief rays of sunshine, then more rain, the clouds, then more rain, then perhaps another quick glimpse of the sun again, then more clouds. Count on anything from Tshirt to light jacket and sweater weather.

I was in Ireland for nine days last year and the clouds, sun, clouds, rain, clouds description is pretty good. They were coming off the wettest April in memory last year so even in Ireland they seemed tired of the rain, but it was threatening more than it actually rained. The oddest day was the day with blazing sunshine at Newgrange/Knowth - people were passing around the rare sunscreen - but as soon as the first group went into the Newgrange chamber it clouded up and hailed on those of us outside within 5 minutes. The people that went in were baffled when they came out and we accused them of performing some rite inside the chamber. It passed pretty quickly and went back to mostly sunny if not hot an hour later.
Layer up and keep a rain layer with you and just roll with it and you'll be fine. =Tod

The weather in Ireland in May? Now there's a challenge!!! Generally speaking though the weather in May is good (sometimes excellent), May is often the best month of the year, but you need to plan for all eventualities.
In my opinion May is the most beautiful month in Ireland, we are at our greenest, the flowers are in bloom, the blossoms are out on the trees, and everywhere the birds are chirping away with their happy little songs. Enjoy your 2 weeks with us!

We visited the first half of May and had great traveling weather - cool and only a little rain. I'd plan for cool and rainy with a good rain shell and decent warm layers/socks. Waterproof shoes would be a plus. Hopefully, you will time it right and be mostly dry.

So as you can see it is impossible to predict! It also is different throughout the island. It's snowing in parts of the country this evening but dry where I am. Hope for the best but expect the worst! Enjoy whatever it is....

My two week mid-late May experience was as Marco & Tom decribed. Rain, sun, cloudy, rainy then weather breaks and the opposite of that. There's enough sun for fun & enough rain to enjoy the greenest landscape in the world in my opinion. If you are going to the Aran or Blasket Islands dress warmly. Layering and being prepared w/a rain jacket & a mini umbrella when there's rain with little wind does the trick. Wear a SS or LS Tee, light or midweight 2nd Layer, a rainjacket and some folks used a 3rd layer with their jackets like a light fleece or vest.
Pack a hat & light gloves & a neck scarf. The wind can cut pretty good because of Ireland's location. Everyone was very casual and they wear nice jeans everywhere over there. Most of our tour had 2 pairs of jeans & 1 pr of khakis, 2 pr of shoes, 1-2 sweaters or second layer, 4 LS tops, 3 SS tops, rainjacket, some kind of vest or light fleece. *The second pair of shoes came in handy for those who didn't have waterproof shoes! Enjoy!

My husband and I spent 16 days in Ireland, last June. It rained every single, solitary, day, but it was wonderful. It was quite windy, cold and very stormy in Belfast. You definitely need shoes that can stand the rain, a hat, an umbrella and a warm coat. Ireland is absolutely fabulous.

I always bring a rain proof jacket, fleece, hat, and a pair of gloves (my hands get cold easily). And two pair of shoes.