The Best Place to See The Northern Lights in Ireland

aurora borealis

Image: Michael Gill / Tourism Ireland

The Northern Lights are one of the most spectacular sights to behold in your lifetime. It’s incredible that charged particles from the sun’s energy create such a magnificent aurora.

Places like Alaska, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Norway are hailed as the best places to see the lights, but we’re going to tell you a little secret not many know about. Ireland is the best of them all! Well, that’s our opinion cause we get to see them from home.

Where is the Best Place in Ireland to see the Northen Lights?

There are several places to glimpse the Aurora Borealis in Ireland. Here’s a list of the best places to view the Northern Lights in Ireland:

  1. Malin Head, Co. Donegal
  2. Dunree Head, Co Donegal
  3. Fanad Head, Co Donegal
  4. Glencolmcille, Co Donegal

These amazing Coastal peninsulae are the best areas to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights due to crisp, fresh and clean air brought about by the Wild Atlantic ocean.

These solar phenomena are special to the North of Ireland, and we’ve only seen them twice, and we made a colossal mistake you should avoid doing. Our phone cameras took horrendously bad photos that didn’t do what we witnessed justice.

Standing on Malin Head with a frustrated look on my face I wish I researched the best what to capture the Northern Lights on Camera. The best research I’ve seen came from Dave Morrow. Davemorrowphotography.com gives a step by step guide on capturing the Aurora.

How Do You Know When The Northern Lights will be Visible in Ireland?

So this is an easy one. You’ll need to monitor the Aurora Forecast. There are several websites where you can do this. This is the one we’ve used – http://www.aurora-service.eu/aurora-forecast/. If your mission is to get a glimpse when you’re in Ireland you should sign up to their alerts -http://www.aurora-service.eu/aurora-alerts/

Problems with seeing the Northern Lights in Ireland

Ok so, you know the deal with Ireland. It rains quite a bit here depending on the time of year. The Aurora Forecast might be saying the lights are visible on a certain night from your destination however the weather may have other plans.

Don’t bother going if it’s lashing rain outside. You won’t see very much. We saw it in the dead of winter on a freezing cold night where the night sky was pitch black with the best view of the stars I’ve ever seen.

Ensure you bring a coat and wrap up warm. I had to go on the Lemsips for a day or two after. We don’t want the same thing to happen you.