Useful Information about Ireland

Population

Approx. 4.5 million

Size and area

Ireland is 275km (170 miles) at its widest point and 486km (301 miles) at its longest. The country has a total coastline of 3,172km (1,970 miles). It covers an area of 84,421 square kilometers (32,595 square miles

Time Zone

GMT

Currency

Euro

Daylight

Shortest day 21 December

Sunrise 08:07 sunset 16:08 (4:08pm)

Longest day 21 June

Sunrise 04:56 sunset 21:57 (9:57pm)

Weather

Ireland doesn’t have the extreme temperatures that other countries at similar latitude would have. The average temperature is a mild 50°F/10 C.

A major warm ocean current called the North Atlantic Drift keeps sea temperatures mild too. Hills and mountains, mainly around the coast, shelter the rest of the island from strong winds coming off the ocean.

So while the weather can be changeable – it’s rarely extreme.

Spring and summer

In spring (February to April), the average highest temperatures range from 46 to 54°F (7 to 12 C), with April considered particularly pleasant. In summer (May to July), the averages for highest temperatures are between 64 and 68°F (17 – 20 C).

The warmest months, July and August, get about 18 hours of daylight and it gets dark only after 11pm. Hence the well-worn phrase in Ireland; “sure there’s a grand stretch in the evenings”.

Autumn and winter

In autumn, (August to October) highest temperatures hit between 64 and 57°F (17 to 14 C). September is considered a mild, temperate month.

Winter air temperatures inland normally reach 46°F (7 C), while the coldest months are January and February. The temperature drops below freezing intermittently, but apart from a few freak cold snaps, snow is scarce (with thanks to Ireland.com)

RAINFALL – The general impression is that it rains quite a lot of the time in Ireland but in fact two out of three hourly observations will not report any measurable rainfall. The average number of wet days (days with more than 1mm of rain) ranges from about 150 days a year along the east and southeast coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west (with thanks to Met.ie)

Public holidays

Visas for Ireland