Europe

Ireland in March

St. Patrick's week floods Dublin and prices spike around it. The rest of the month is quiet and good value.

TradeoffsBlustery, highs near 50F (10C), showers frequent

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland — IrelandPhoto: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

March is a month of real tradeoffs in Ireland. St. Patrick's week floods Dublin and prices spike around it. The rest of the month is quiet and good value.

Weather: Blustery, highs near 50F (10C), showers frequent
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What March is like in Ireland

March is blustery and showery, with highs near 50F (10C). The month has two faces. St. Patrick's week floods Dublin with visitors, sends hotel prices soaring and closes banks, shops and some sights on the holiday itself. The rest of the month is quiet and good value, and seasonal sights start reopening toward the end.

Go for St. Patrick's if the party is the point and you book very early. If you just want Ireland, avoid that week and travel later in the month, or wait for April for thinner crowds and more open doors.

Make the most of March

What is especially good about Ireland this month.

St. Patrick's Festival

Dublin's parade and a citywide festival fill the days around March 17, with celebrations in every town. Book Dublin beds months out.

Small-town St. Patrick's Day

Parades in smaller towns are friendlier and far less crowded than Dublin, and accommodation is easier to find.

Quiet late March

Once the festival week passes, roads and sights are calm again and prices drop back down.

What to pack for March

A windproof, waterproof jacket
Warm layers for cold, gusty days
Waterproof walking shoes
Something green if you are there for St. Patrick's

Our timing tip

If you want the festival without Dublin prices, stay in a town outside the city and ride the train in for the parade.

Book Ireland for March.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Ireland
Opens a hotel search for Ireland in March, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for March
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Ireland
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Ireland
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Ireland for March. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in March

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

March 17 every year, with the St. Patrick's Festival running for several days around it

Ireland's national day in its capital: a big parade, a packed city, and a festival that is more than green beer.

St. Patrick's Festival

The days around March 17 every year

Dublin's parade and a citywide festival, with celebrations in every town. Hotel prices in Dublin spike hard for the week.

Things to do in Ireland

Full guide

Cliffs of Moher

Arrive before 10am or after 5pm in season; midday belongs to the coach tours. The cliff walk toward Hags Head escapes most of the crowd.

Tickets and tours →

Ring of Kerry

Drive it counterclockwise like the buses do to avoid meeting them head-on on narrow roads, and start early. Killarney National Park anchors the loop.

Tickets and tours →

Dublin's museum quarter

The National Museum's gold and bog bodies, Trinity's Book of Kells, and the National Gallery, all walkable. Book Kells tickets ahead in summer.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Galway and Connemara

Galway is the base; Connemara's bog-and-mountain emptiness is the point. Kylemore Abbey is the postcard stop.

Tickets and tours →

Newgrange (Bru na Boinne)

A 5,000-year-old passage tomb north of Dublin. Access is by guided tour from the visitor centre and slots cap out in summer, so book ahead.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Dingle Peninsula

Many travelers' favorite corner of Ireland: the Slea Head loop, beehive huts, and a working fishing town full of music.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Do the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry before 10am; the coach-tour wave runs roughly 10:30am to 4pm and then vanishes.
Base yourself in Dingle or Kenmare instead of Killarney in summer: same scenery, calmer evenings, better tables without a booking.
Book Newgrange, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Book of Kells online well ahead in June through August; all three cap daily numbers and sell out.
Take the Ring of Beara or the Sky Road in Connemara when the Ring of Kerry is heaving; they are just as good and carry a fraction of the traffic.

Know before you go

Skellig Michael landings run only from roughly mid May to late September, and even in season boats cancel frequently for swell. Book early and build in a spare day.
Many rural and heritage attractions run reduced winter hours from roughly November through mid March, and some smaller sites close entirely; city museums and castles stay open year-round.
Good Friday and Christmas (December 24 to 26) close most attractions, and almost everything shuts on Christmas Day itself, including most pubs.
St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday: the party is on but banks, shops, and some sights close, and Dublin accommodation sells out months out.

Ireland in March, quick answers

Is March a good time to visit Ireland?

March is a month of real tradeoffs in Ireland. St. Patrick's week floods Dublin and prices spike around it. The rest of the month is quiet and good value.

What is the weather like in Ireland in March?

Blustery, highs near 50F (10C), showers frequent.

Is Ireland crowded in March?

Crowds in Ireland are moderate in March; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.

What is happening in Ireland in March?

St. Patrick's Festival (the days around march 17 every year).