What to pack for Ireland in May
May is often the sunniest month in Ireland, and one of the best times to visit. The countryside is intensely green, the days are long, and the summer crowds have not yet arrived. It is still cool, though, and showers come through regularly, especially on the west coast.
So the list is built for mild weather that changes every hour. A waterproof jacket with a hood is the one essential, with a warm sweater under it. The cliffs and headlands are windy, the pubs are warm, and the dress code everywhere is casual. Jeans and a good sweater go anywhere.
Checked
The weather
- Daytime high
- 60°F
- 15°C in Dublin. The west is similar but wetter.
- Overnight low
- 45°F
- 7°C. Cool evenings, even after sunny days.
- Wet days
- ~12
- Mostly showers that come and go.
- Daylight
- 16 h
- Sunset after 9:30pm by the end of the month.
The capsule
A week, one traveler, Claret palette. Gray and ivory with burgundy, warm enough for the cliffs and fine in the pub. A capsule is a few clothes in one palette (a base color, a neutral and an accent) that all go together. The full list below adds what sits outside it.
Layers
Hooded rain jacket
Quilted jacket
Cable-knit sweater
Tops
Long-sleeve tee
Oxford shirt
Bottoms
Dark jeans
Corduroy pants
Shoes
Waterproof walking boots
Leather sneakers
Three days from this capsule
Shown for one traveler. Packlier packs a capsule like this for each person on the trip.
The full list
Clothes
- Waterproof jacket with a hood
- Light insulated jacket or fleece
- Two warm sweaters
- Four or five tops, mostly long-sleeve
- Jeans and one other pair of pants
- Rain pants, if you plan to hike
- Warm socks
Shoes
- Waterproof walking shoes or boots
- Comfortable shoes for the cities
Day bag
- Scarf
- Compact umbrella for the cities
- Refillable water bottle
- Sunglasses; it does get sunny
- Packable daypack
Documents and tech
- Passport
- Driver’s license, if you are renting a car
- Travel insurance details
- Card for tap-to-pay
- Pounds as well as euros, if you are visiting Northern Ireland
- Type G plug adapter (230V)
- Power bank
Toiletries
- Lip balm and moisturizer for the wind
- Sunscreen
- Any prescriptions, in your carry-on
Gear worth the space
A hooded rain jacket
Waterproof, windproof and light enough to wear over a sweater. You will have it on or in your bag every day.
A wool sweater
Warm when damp, fine in the pub and a classic souvenir if you buy one there.
Waterproof walking shoes
Comfortable in a city and dry on a muddy clifftop path.
A packable daypack
Room for a spare layer, water and snacks on long days out of the city.
About twelve wet days in May, and wind that beats umbrellas. Packlier packs your trip for all of it.
Tell it where, when, why, which bag and which palette, and it packs the capsule, checks it against the bag and adds everything that is not clothing. Launching this year on Android, with iOS to follow.
One email at launch, nothing else.