What to Wear in Dublin in January

Dress in layers you can peel. NOAA's 30-year record for Dublin Airport puts January at 8.2°C by day and 2.3°C at night, with rain on about 18 days, and its daily record makes January the windiest month of the year there, at an average of about 22 km/h. The month swings widely. Met Éireann's January 2025 statement opens with Storm Éowyn, which "brought hurricane force winds and new wind speed records for Ireland", yet the same month was sunny and frosty in Dublin; its January 2026 statement reports County Dublin's second-wettest January on record. Inside, the city does the opposite. TradFest runs from 20 to 24 January 2027 in Temple Bar and in venues such as St Patrick's Cathedral and the Pepper Canister Church, and a full session room is warm. So skip the single heavy coat. Pack a quilted jacket that comes off, a waterproof shell over it, a fine knit and tweed.

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Navy diamond-quilted jacket, cord collar

   This is the layer that comes off. A quilted jacket is warm enough on its own for a dry 8°C / 46°F afternoon, light enough to hang on a chair in a packed Temple Bar session, and thin enough to go under a waterproof when the weather turns. The cord collar turns up against the wind on the quays.

2. 
   02

   Bottle green hooded waterproof jacket, check lining

   For the days January delivers rain and wind together, which in 2026 was much of the month. A hooded waterproof over the quilted jacket gives you a storm-proof outfit in two thin layers instead of one heavy coat, and both come off separately indoors. Bottle green hides mud from the Howth cliff path.

3. 
   03

   Wine fine merino crew

   A fine-gauge merino is warm under two jackets and still bearable at a session where people stand shoulder to shoulder; a chunky knit is not. Merino handles a sweaty room and a cold walk home without smelling of either. Wine is a warm colour for a grey month.

4. 
   04

   Grey-brown Donegal tweed trousers

   Donegal tweed is dense wool that sheds a passing shower and stays warm when damp, and Dublin still sells it by the bolt: Kevin & Howlin on Nassau Street has specialised in handwoven Donegal tweeds since 1936. Its coloured flecks hide rain spots and pub-floor splashes. A straight leg falls over boots.

5. 
   05

   Brown leather plain-toe lace-up boots, lug sole

   Sport Ireland's description of the Howth Cliff Path Loop, 7.8km and about two hours, is plain: "walking boots are recommended". A leather lace-up on a lug sole does the cliff path in the morning and a pub floor at night, and it grips wet rock and steps. Brown goes with the tweed.

6. 
   06

   Thin black knit gloves, touchscreen tips

   In January you put gloves on and take them off at every door. Thin knit gloves fold into a pocket, warm your hands on a 2°C / 36°F walk between venues, and work a phone for the next set's start time. Black hides the wear.

7. 
   07

   Black leather crescent shoulder bag

   A small bag worn across the body is what a packed session allows; there is no floor space for anything bigger. A leather crescent sits flat under the jacket, sheds rain, and holds a phone, a card and the gloves.

8. 
   08

   Mustard lambswool scarf

   Wind is the January variable, and a lambswool scarf is the quickest way to close a jacket's collar against it and the quickest layer to remove inside. Mustard brightens a navy and green outfit on a grey afternoon, and lambswool takes a shower without matting.

A suggested look — navy diamond-quilted jacket, wine merino crew, mustard lambswool scarf, grey-brown donegal tweed trousers, brown leather lace-up boots.

What to avoid

• One heavy coat — the session rooms are hot
• An umbrella — the windiest month at Dublin Airport
• A chunky knit for a session — shoulder to shoulder
• Trainers on the Howth cliff path — walking boots are recommended
• Planning a January rugby weekend — Ireland's first home match is 5 February