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Is August a good time to visit Ireland?
Undoubtedly, this is one of the best months to visit Ireland. It is peak tourist season and it is easy to see why visiting the Emerald Isle in August is so popular. The Irish weather is frequently (or at least can be!) good, the days are long and the average temperatures are likely to be among the highest 12-20 °C (54-68 °F) of the year.
Tourists from the United States and rest of the world travel to Ireland to experience some of the best summer conditions during this month.
Visiting Ireland during this month is ideal if you want to maximise your options to visit both indoor and outdoor attractions and have plenty of hours of daylight each day to fit in everything on your itinerary.
What’s the weather like in Ireland in August?
Photo by Tom Archer / Fáilte Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
Summer weather in Ireland does not come with a sunshine guarantee, but generally August is not a particularly wet month. During this month Dublin receives on average about 70 mm (3 “) of rain over roughly 11 days or so. The average temperature in August is about 15 °C (59 °F).
Read our weather in Ireland in August post for more weather and travel information.
Things to do in Ireland in August
Road trips, long day tours and a diverse range of outdoor activities are all suited to the August weather. Hiking, walking, cycling, fishing, golfing, surfing, kayaking or coasteering to name but a few activities are great fun to do during the summer months.
The Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast is truly stunning during August. The popular stops and destinations along the coastal route including the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare can be quite busy with tourists (and Ireland tour buses) during this month.
Photo by Chris Hill / Fáilte Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
As always, try to visit these places as early or as late in the day as possible to avoid the worst of the traffic on the narrow country roads.
For more road trip inspiration ideas, don’t forget about the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland. This epic route takes in the sights of the UNESCO Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (for those of you with a head for heights!) and the famous Bushmills Whiskey Distillery to name but a few.
Photo by Gareth McCormack / Tourism Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
August is also a popular time to visit Ireland’s national parks. Whether you fancy a boat trip on the Lakes of Killarney in Killarney National Park, a hike up Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park or a saunter around the ancient monastic settlement at Glendalough in Wicklow National Park, there will definitely be something for every itinerary.
There are also several highly entertaining festival events ranging from the arts, to traditional music to food and everything in between. The Kilkenny Arts Festival, Masters of Tradition music festival (Bantry, County Cork) and the Big Grill Festival that takes place in Dublin are just some of the events to mark in your calendar if you happen to be nearby!
If the weather forecast is not so ideal, there are still lots of things to do in Ireland in August that are indoors and suitable for all the family. The Cool Planet Experience in Enniskerry, County Wicklow is aimed particularly at kids to demonstrate the effects of climate change.
Another alternative is the EPIC Museum in Dublin City (winner of Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction Award 2019) where people can learn all about Irish emigration and trace their ancestors.
For itinerary inspiration for your trip to Dublin, check out our list of must-see attractions here.
Visiting Ireland in August
Photo by Chris Hill / Fáilte Ireland via Ireland’s Content Pool
As it is high season, August is one of the more expensive months for flights and hotels in the Emerald Isle. If you are flexible with your dates and want to save on your Ireland travel budget, check out the advantages and disadvantages of going to Ireland during the other months of the year in our post about the best time to visit Ireland.
For more travel tips about Ireland and the average weather to expect in Ireland during August, read our weather in Ireland in August post.
If you would like some more information about summer weather in Ireland then check out our posts about the weather in Ireland in July and the weather in Ireland in September.
