Dalkey is open year-round, but the village comes into its own from late spring to early autumn, when the boatmen at Coliemore Harbour run trips out to Dalkey Island and the coast walks are at their best. June is reliably the driest month in Dublin.
The Dalkey Book Festival in mid-June draws a strong literary programme to the village for a long weekend — talks, readings, and dinners with writers in pubs and gardens. Tickets sell out quickly.
Winters are mild but wet and windy on the coast; the village still has its pubs and castles for a day trip, but the island is inaccessible.