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Ireland in January
Photo by Chris Hill / Tourism Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
January may not be a particularly popular time to visit Ireland, but as there is still lots of things to do in Ireland in January, it is still worth considering this month for your Ireland vacation.
Depending on what type of Ireland travel itinerary you want, January might be an ideal option to visit Ireland on a budget.
The weather in Ireland in January is wintery and likely to be mixed. Ireland does not tend to get much snow, but the temperatures are cool (ca. 2 – 8 ° C or 36 – 46 °F) and you can expect wet and maybe even icy conditions at times.
If your dream Ireland holiday consists of road trips with lots of time outside exploring a national park or two and amazing scenery along the Dingle Peninsula and other stops like the Cliffs of Moher along the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route, then perhaps this month might not be the best time to visit Ireland for your type of itinerary.
Road trips are of course possible at this time of year, but are likely to be more enjoyable when the weather is less wintery.
However, if you envisage plenty of great city breaks and charming towns filled with fascinating museums, interesting castles and heritage sites, cosy cafés, lip-smacking restaurants and not to mention a vibrant traditional Irish music scene in the many pubs (not just in Temple Bar!), January might be a great option to plan your travel to Ireland.
For more travel trip ideas and information about Ireland in January, check out our longer post here.
Weather in Ireland in January
Photo by Chris Hill / Tourism Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
As can be expected, the weather in Ireland in January is wintery. The weather forecast on many days is for grey skies, rainfall and sometimes high wind as well. Snow is usually found more on high ground, but there will occasionally be sprinkles on lower ground from time to time as well.
Usually the average temperatures for the month of January fall between 2-8 °C (36-46 °F), with a daily average of about 5 ° C (41 °F).
The conditions along the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast are likely to be wilder at this time than the east coast with windier conditions and greater sea swells. (This can be an awesome sight in itself, but remember to keep your distance!)
The typical weather in January shouldn’t impact too much on city breaks, like Dublin, Kilkenny or Belfast in Northern Ireland for example. You are possibly more likely to get good deals on hotels during this off season time.
| Dublin | Cork | Galway | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Average temperature January | 5 °C 41 °F | 6 °C 43 °F | 6 °C 43 °F | 4 °C 39 °F |
| Min. and max temperatures January | 2-8 °C 36-46 °F | 3-8 °C 37-46 °F | 3-9 °C 37-48 °F | 2-7 °C 36-45 °F |
| Sunrise and sunset January 1st | 8.40 a.m. - 4.16 p.m. | 8.41 a.m. - 4.33 p.m. | 8.51 a.m. - 4.28 p.m. | 8.46 a.m. - 4.08 p.m. |
Temperature in Ireland in January
Photo by Chris Hill / Tourism Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
In January average temperatures are low and it can be quite chilly when it is windy. The average daily temperature is about 5 °C (41 °F), with a low temperature of about 2 °C (36 °F).
Cold spells, when temperatures are around freezing point, generally don’t last more than a few days at most.
Irish roads can be icy when the temperatures fluctuate around freezing, so take extra care when you travel (especially on rural roads) when conditions are cold and wet. These conditions make road trip vacations suboptimal at this time of year.
The January average water temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) and definitely not for the faint of heart!
Rain in Ireland in January
The rainfall in Ireland in January varies quite a lot across the country. Dublin is likely to be one of the drier locations situated on the east coast of the country and receives about 60 mm (2″) of precipitation during the month over about 12 days.
Cork is considerably wetter and can expect to receive about 130 mm (5 “) of rain during January on average. The west coast usually also receives plenty of precipitation at this time as well, with Galway approximately receiving about 100 mm (4 “) of rain.
Misty rain is also an occurrence, particularly in the mountainous and coastal areas and this is likely to greatly reduce visibility. (Keep this in mind if you want to visit the Cliffs of Moher on rainy day!)
Good travel tips for dealing with Irish weather? Bring good waterproofs and don’t always rely on an umbrella as sometimes they are not very practical in windy Irish weather.
| Dublin | Cork | Galway | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Average Rainfall January | 62 mm 2″ | 131 mm 5″ | 102 mm 4″ | 93 mm 4″ |
| No. of wet days (> 1.0 mm 0.04″ precipitation) January | 12 | 16 | 16 | 20 |
Wind in Ireland in January
Photo by John McCormack via Ireland’s Content Pool
January is one of the windiest months in Ireland with average wind speed in Dublin Airport being about 27 km per hour (17 miles per hour). Across Ireland the wind speed is likely to be very variable and influenced greatly by local topography.
There are often winter storms around this time, which occasionally result in gale warnings being issued, particularly for coastal regions.
Weather in Dublin Ireland in January
In Dublin city, there is a wealth of things to do indoors so regardless of the weather conditions in January, you will always have something for your itinerary.
It is certainly a bit drier in Dublin than other locations around the country, but you could still expect to see some form of rain on about half the days in January. In total, Dublin receives about 60 mm (2 „) of rain during the first month of the year.
On good days, take a wander around the grounds of Trinity College Dublin or check out the unrivaled views of the city from the Gravity Bar in the Guinness Storehouse.
As the days are still quite short, you can expect it to get dark between about 4-5pm, day trips from Dublin to explore the rest of the Emerald Isle are not ideal and should if possible be carried out later in the year.
As well as fewer tourists in general during this low season, the availability of Dublin hotels is also likely to be quite good.
Visiting Ireland in January
Photo courtesy of Ireland’s Content Pool
Exploring a new country is a great way to start a year and Ireland is no exception. One way to do this is to add a few extra days onto a Christmas and New Year Ireland family vacation.
There are lively celebrations around New Year in most Irish cities and while the rest of the month is a bit quieter regarding events, you have the luxury of avoiding queues and having much quieter attractions than during the peak season.
Ireland is also a great destination for food lovers too, particularly in County Cork. For some specific food and tips for traveling to Ireland in January, read our post here.
Your Ireland destination vacation in January is likely to be a lot of fun and cheaper on your pocket too, especially with regard to long haul flights from the United States.
If the weather is not particularly important for your itinerary, then this month is a good time to explore Ireland’s culture, stay in a few of Ireland’s hotels or even a luxury castle hotel!
Still undecided as to when to travel to Ireland? Read our longer best time to visit Ireland post to get some more valuable insights before you book your vacation.
Interested in knowing what the weather in Ireland in December is like? Or the weather in Ireland in February? Then our other posts will make sure that you are informed.
