Ireland’s gardens come into their own in the spring, and that’s particularly true at the National Botanic Garden of Ireland in Kilmacurragh. Each April, their impressive collection of 200-year-old rhododendron trees bloom in a spectacular display of colour, and it’s marked with Rhododendron Week, with guided walks and talks. There are also rhododendrons over at Mount Congreve Gardens in Waterford, which bloom alongside over 250 varieties of magnolias, and you can see their pink and white flowers blossoming on the Herman Dool Magnolia Walk. Visit the Fota House Arboretum and Gardens on April 13 and you can browse their annual Plant Fair, where you can buy rare and unusual plants grown in their Victorian Working Gardens.  

Lough Key Forest Park is always a good spot for a hike, but in the spring, the woodland trails weave through a sea of bluebells, turning the forest floor into a blanket of purples and blues. The Miners Way Historical Trail leads you through the heart of the woods, but the Bog Garden Trail is also a rich with plant life. It’s a great time to catch the wild orchids in the Burren National Park, which start to bloom in April – the flowers are so tiny you could easily miss them, but walk along the Nature Trail loop and you should see plenty in the hedgerows and between the limestone. Basking shark season also starts in spring, so if you take a walk along the cliffs by Keem Beach in Acaill (Achill Island), you may just spot these migrating creatures as they swim in the bay.  

It’s not just flowers that pop up during spring – this is an ideal time for foraging, particularly the wild garlic that grows in abundance all over the country. However, if you want a bit of guidance, head out on a walk with Wild Food Mary, where in the hedgerows near Birr you’ll learn how to identify spring pickings like morels, ramsons and dandelions. At Blackstairs Eco Trails in Carlow, you’ll head out on a foraging expedition then learn how to incorporate these wild foods into dishes like gorse flower ice cream and beech leaf liqueur. It’s also a great time for seaweed harvesting – on a workshop with Mungo Murphy’s Seaweed Co, you’ll set out on a coastal walk in Galway Bay and learn how to identify different types of seaweed as well as abalone, before tucking into a foraged seafood feast. 

With some courses closing over the winter, spring is a great time to get back on the greens. The course at Druids Glen is known as the Augusta of Ireland, and if you play in the spring you might catch the blossoms as the flowers around its edge bloom into life. At the Heritage Golf Resort in Laois, there are five lakes and a stream running throughout the course, and over 7,000 trees in the surrounding lands. If a links course is more your style, head to County Sligo Golf Club in Rosses Point, where the course brings you out along the rocky outcrop overlooking the Atlantic and most holes play against the stunning backdrop of Benbulben. 

At this time of year, plenty of people dust off their bikes and head out for a cycle as the weather gets warmer. The good news? There are plenty of off-road greenways all around Ireland, with routes that take you along the coast, through the countryside or even out to an island. The Waterford Greenway starts in the city and weaves 46km through the surrounding countryside, following the old train line out to Dungarvan. You’ll cycle through old stone tunnels dripping with ferns and moss, and pass by some top notch stop off points – you can grab a coffee and avocado toast at Coach House Coffee, or an ice cream by a vintage train carriage at the Whistlestop Café.  

The Great Western Greenway was the first of its kind in Ireland and is still a cracking route, leading you from Westport out to Achill with great views of the mountains, Clew Bay and beyond. It’s 49km in total, but you can also just cycle the final (most scenic) 14km stretch from Mulranny to Achill. Fancy something a little shorter? You can bike a 6km stretch of the Royal Canal Greenway from Maynooth out to Kilcock, right on the waterside path.  

If that’s not enough adrenaline for you, Fatbike Adventures Cycling Tours may be up your alley – you can do half or full day guided tours on bikes with wide tires, so you can tackle Ticknock Mountain or the Wicklow beaches without feeling the burn.  

When March rolls around, the fishing season kicks into gear. Laois Angling Centre has four spring-fed lakes stocked with brown and rainbow trout, tench and carp. The mature forestry surrounding the lakes make for a scenic setting, and there’s a big picnic area. Connemara is a dream for fly fishing, and at Lough Inagh Fishery the spring salmon season starts in March, so you can cast your line with a view of the Twelve Bens behind. Southern County Fishing Resort in Carlow is one of Ireland’s newest fishing resorts and has three lakes full of rainbow and brown trout, salmon and carp. You can make a day of it with their Lake Café and barbecue areas.  

We never need an excuse for a good festival in Ireland, and in spring there are loads to keep you occupied. If you love the great outdoors, check out the Wander Wild Festival in Kerry – the event in April includes activities like stand-up paddle boarding in Killarney, rock climbing in the Gap of Dunloe and lakeside saunas in Muckross. Mountain bikers can get their kicks later that month at the Slieve Bloom Mountain Biking Festival, which follows the fast and flowing trails around Kinnitty in County Offaly. In May, the Festival of Gardens and Nature takes place in Stradbally, with an impressive line-up of speakers, as well as foraging classes and organic cooking.  

While that’s a newer event, the Cork International Choral Festival has been on the go since 1954 and takes place at the end of April in venues all around the city. And of course, you can’t talk about spring festivals without mentioning St Patrick’s Day celebrations every March – you’ll find huge regional celebrations in Kilkenny, Cork, Sligo, Killarney, Limerick, Waterford and beyond, each with their own annual theme and local focus. The St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin is the largest, with loads of events from the parade to the Céilí Mór in Merrion Square, circus and cabaret, and gigs of all sizes.  

Fans of Irish and international cinema will also find a smattering of film festivals across the spring months – March sees Animation Dingle, while May brings Fastnet Film Festival in West Cork and the sci-fi-focused May the 4^th on the Skellig Coast (a Star Wars filming location) in County Kerry. 

Want to blow off some steam? At Cavan Adventure Centre, you can pick between loads of activities on the water and the land, like kayaking out to the ruins of Clough Oughter Castle, or trying your hand at archery or bushcrafts in Killykeen Forest Park. There’s also a huge variety of watery activities at Dunmore East Adventure Centre, from sailing and SUP to power boating and caving, as well as the inflatable waterpark Wibit Wipeout, where you leap between giant climbing walls and slides.  

Things are a little more sedate at Atlantic Sea Kayaking, particularly during the night tours on Lough Hyne. The season kicks off in April when, if the conditions are right, you might spot the twinkle of bioluminescence around your kayak as you paddle under the night sky. 

The water may still be a little chilly, but don’t let that put you off. Inchydoney Beach in Cork is a picturesque spot for a seaside stroll, with wide sands and calm waters if you’re brave enough for a swim. If you want to take a dip but build up a bit of heat first, head to Old Head Beach in Mayo, where the Wild Atlantic Sauna is right next to the water. There’s also a coffee truck, so you can warm up when you’ve dried off.  

For something a little more active, Rossnowlagh Beach in Donegal is a popular surf spot, and you can take a two-hour class with Rossnowlagh Surf School to master the waves. Down in Wexford, Curracloe Beach may be best known as the spot where they filmed Saving Private Ryan, but it’s a great stretch of sand for a stroll – and just a little further north at Ballinesker Beach there’s an accessible boardwalk for wheelchair users.