Ireland
Ireland Geography & Climate
Geography
Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe, lying west of Britain across the Irish Sea, with the Republic covering about five sixths of it and Northern Ireland the remainder. Nowhere on the island is more than about 110 kilometres from the coast.
A saucer
The shape is often described as a basin: mountains around the edges and a low, flat, wet interior. Carrauntoohil in the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks is the highest point at 1,038 metres, which is modest by European standards, and the ranges — the Wicklows, the Mournes, Connemara’s Twelve Bens, the Kerry peninsulas — sit close to the sea, which is why they look bigger than they are.
Bog and limestone
Peat bog covers a substantial part of the midlands and was cut for fuel for centuries; raised bogs are now among the most threatened habitats in Europe and cutting is being phased out. In Clare, the Burren is a limestone pavement with Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants growing side by side in the cracks.
The Atlantic edge
The west coast is deeply indented with peninsulas, bays and drowned valleys. The Cliffs of Moher reach 214 metres and Slieve League in Donegal is higher still. Offshore lie the Arans, Achill, the Blaskets and Skellig Michael, a pinnacle of rock with a sixth-century monastery on top.
Rivers and lakes
The Shannon is the longest river in either Britain or Ireland, running through a chain of lakes to a wide estuary. Lough Neagh, in the north, is the largest lake in the British Isles.
Almost no trees
Ireland has among the lowest forest cover in Europe, around eleven per cent and most of that plantation conifer. The island was largely cleared centuries ago, which is why the green is grass.
Climate Patterns
Ireland has a temperate maritime climate governed by the Atlantic and the North Atlantic Drift, which keeps it far milder than its latitude — the island sits as far north as Newfoundland and almost never sees comparable cold.
Mild and narrow
Winter lows average around 4 to 7°C and summer highs 17 to 20°C. Snow is unusual and rarely lies; temperatures above 25°C are a news event. The narrowness of the range is the defining feature.
Rain, and where
It rains on roughly 150 days a year in the east and up to 225 in the west, though usually as drizzle and showers rather than downpours. The west and the mountains get the most — parts of Kerry exceed two metres a year — while Dublin, in the rain shadow, is drier than many English cities.
Changeability
Atlantic fronts cross the country every few days, which is why the weather changes within hours rather than seasons. Sun, rain, wind and sun again inside an afternoon is normal, and the practical answer is layers and a waterproof rather than a forecast.
Wind and light
The west coast is among the windiest places in Europe, which is why the trees lean and why Ireland generates a large share of its electricity from wind. Midsummer gives light until half past ten at night; midwinter is dark by half past four.
Storms
Named Atlantic storms between October and March bring damaging winds, coastal flooding and occasional travel disruption. Met Eireann’s colour-coded warnings are worth following.