What I Packed and Wore In Ireland - Spring

When I first found out that I would be visiting Ireland with Air Transat, I was so happy! Ireland is a country that I had always wanted to visit, and I was so grateful to be able to finally check it off my bucket list with one of my favourite airlines. While I was excited to get started on my Irish adventure, the packing process had me stumped. Ireland is known to have a fairly rainy and cool climate, with periods of warm sunshine - all within the day! I also knew that we were going to have a fairly busy itinerary and, seeing as how I would be traveling with a group of bloggers, there would be photos taken all along the way. 

After a lot of thought, and a lot of second guessing myself, I finally had a packed suitcase and was ready to take on Ireland! You guys know that I had the best time from my recap post, but did I make the best choices when deciding what to pack? Here's a breakdown of what I ultimately decided on to bring with me to Ireland, what I wished I would have packed and the outfits that I wore.

What I packed:

Bottoms:

• 2 pleated maxi skirts (both pink)
• 1 pair of loose mom jeans
• 2 mini skirts (one pink, one yellow)
• 1 pair of black leggings
• 2 pairs of culottes (one pink and one striped)
• 1 pair of black tights to wear under dresses and skirts

Tops:

• 2 sweaters (one white, one pink)
• 1 loose button-up top
• 1 yellow polka dot mini dress 
• 1 pink sweater dress
• 1 floral midi dress
• 1 long black maxi dress

Shoes/Jackets/Accessories 

• 1 pink rain jacket shell
• 1 giant wool blanket scarf
• 1 pair of tall Hunter rain boots
• 1 pair of white running shoes
• 1 pair of white loafers
• 1 umbrella
• 1 wide-brimmed hat
• 1 pink beret
• 1 backpack
• 1 mini crossbody bag

The Verdict:

While we were visiting Ireland, the weather was quite good with minimal rain (it only rained for two days total.) For that reason, I actually didn't end up using my rain gear as much as I thought. I still think that it's wise to bring rain gear with you to Ireland though; nothing is worse than being ill-prepared in the rain.

I really should have brought a pair of low, black leather boots. If you guys have checked out my other European 'what i packed' posts, you'll know that I always pack a pair of low black booties. For some reason this trip I decided against them - I actually had them packed in my suitcase, second guessed myself and took them out! Huge mistake. Lesson learned; when traveling to any European city, a pair of low black boots are an absolute must. Next time I'll trust my gut and my first instinct.

I also should have brought a few more dressier options for outfits. Although the vibe in Ireland and Northern Ireland is fairly casual, there are a ton of upscale meals and dinning experiences to try out - and lucky for us, we did! I found that I wore my long black maxi dress for most of our meals at nice restaurants, and it would have been nice to have a bit more variety.

In terms of the items I actually brought, I'm overall fairly satisfied. The maxi skirt/sweater combo was a huge win for me, since it kept me warm and comfortable. I maybe could have done with only packing one of the mini skirts, since I had planned to wear them with the high rain boots and it didn't end up raining all that much.

What do you guys think? Did I miss anything that would have made the trip more comfortable? What do you like to pack when visiting a European destination in the Spring? Let me know!

xo Joëlle