What to wear in Ireland

I will be going to Ireland (Adare Manor, County Limerick) Janurary 27th for a week and was wondering if anyone had any tips for what to wear. I was thinking jeans, turtle neck sweaters and a leather jacket.

Sound sufficient or should I pack heavier?

I would be careful about anything green.

Seriously, though, something waterproof, with a hood.

If you want to blend in you can use this as a guide.

Now that seems a little too chilly. Maybe with long johns.

I went to Scotland in February and ended up playing golf! Quite unexpected but I was told that it was normal. If you are worried about getting cold take along one of these.

Find a weather website. Chances are it will have seasonal trends, and you can look up the week(or just month) that you will be there.

I’m in western Scotland which has a similar climate, albeit perhaps a little colder. Expect rain, winds and relatively mild temperatures. It doesn’t snow that much in Ireland, but it wouldn’t be unheard of. Same with temps going below freezing.

It can be changeable, though. I’d say waterproofs and layers will be your friends.

Would you consider a leather jacket as a waterproof?

Eh, somewhat, I suppose. Probably it would be OK in a short, light shower. It can rain a lot in Ireland, though. I used to ride a motorcycle in the UK - I wouldn’t trust my leather pants or jacket to keep me dry in serious rain.

I was there in December once and wore an LL Bean fleece jacket under a windbreaker.

I also often had fleece gloves and fleece hat on.

The problem over there (to me) is the wind and dampness.

No.

Also, I find leather to be quite cold when damp out (damp as in humid air).

Wrap up well and pack a raincoat and umbrella too. It rains most days. In January it often gets to -5c (20s f) or colder but will typically be milder. We didn’t have much of a winter this past year but the previous year had a long cold winter with lots of snow and ice.

A T-Shirt that says “Kiss me, I’m the only one here who’s NOT Irish.”

Ireland, not Scotland. In Ireland they dress like so.

Hey, I stayed there in 2007. For some reason they gave us a week in a villa for just $650. I cannot recall how my wife finagled this.

Anyway, the clothes you describe sound sufficient to me. But I have never worn leather so I can’t be certain. And it could get much colder than you expect, so I’d at least pack something heavier for just in case.

Get back to me closer to the date, the weather here changes in a heartbeat… but as a general rule it’s mild and wet in the winter. Or it might be dry and cold.

Leather jackets aren’t much use in the rain, you’ll ruin it.

Jeans and sweaters are fine.

You can have any weather in Ireland in January. It can be warm or cold, raining or sunny or (less often) snowy.

Here’s what I suggest.

  • Long-sleeved cotton shirt
  • Fleece
  • Lightweight waterproof and windproof coat/jacket

This combination (or subset thereof) will be adequate for the full range of conditions you are likely to encounter in January. It also means that if you need to look smart indoors, you just take off your fleece and you are wearing a nice shirt.

Below the waist, you just need ordinary trousers. No long johns or thermals or anything like that.

Bring sturdy footwear that will keep your feet dry even if there are puddles or (less likely) slush.

Ok so far I got:

No leather
Sweaters
Fleece
jeans
Long sleeve shirts
Waterproof shoes.

Sounds good. No comes the fun part, shopping.

Thanks everyone. Looking forward to this trip, especially the Guiness factory and Jameson whiskey.

Raincoat and an umbrella and you’re good to go.

I can take an umbrella on a plane?
Oops, never mind. I can use my Totes and put it in the luggage.