When to go · Dublin
Dublin in December
Mixed month. Christmas lights, but Dec 25–26 is closed almost everywhere.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C) / 4°C (39°F)39°F (4°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 15
- Crowds
- Medium
- Ireland overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Ireland overall
Verdict
Christmas lights, but Dec 25–26 is closed almost everywhere.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in December
- DublinHighs around 8 °C (46 °F), lows around 4 °C (39 °F), rain on about 15 daysHighs around 46 °F (8 °C), lows around 39 °F (4 °C), rain on about 15 days
- Dublin and the east, Ireland · Dublin, Wicklow, Boyne Valley, Kilkennycool
Driest part of the country; mild all year, rarely above 25 °C (77 °F) or below freezing.Driest part of the country; mild all year, rarely above 77 °F (25 °C) or below freezing.
Winter season
Christmas lights, cosy pubs and empty museums.
Watch: Dusk at 16:30, wind and closures on 25–26 December.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas lights and markets
From late November to Christmas · Grafton Street, Merrion Square, the Docklands
Lit streets and stalls; crowds on Grafton Street and higher hotel prices.
Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day
25 and 26 December · Whole city
Nearly everything is closed and public transport is minimal; book a taxi ahead.
Christmas swim at the Forty Foot
25 December · Sandycove
A crowd of swimmers and spectators; a sea-bathing tradition.
Christmas
Dec 25–26
Almost everything is closed and public transport is minimal.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ireland overall
- Medium
- Prices · Ireland overall
- Medium
Ireland overall: Christmas markets and pub sessions; almost everything stops 25–26 December.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Dublin, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Mixed
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
May: 15 °C (59 °F)59 °F (15 °C)
Night low
Dec: 4 °C (39 °F)39 °F (4 °C)
May: 7 °C (45 °F)45 °F (7 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 15
May: 12 (better)
Crowds
Dec: Medium
May: Medium
Prices
Dec: Medium
May: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 4
May: 2
December: Christmas lights, but Dec 25–26 is closed almost everywhere.
May: One of the driest, brightest months.
Dublin: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket