Kildare is at its best from late spring through summer. The Japanese Gardens are spectacular in late April and May when the cherry blossom and azaleas are out. The flat racing season runs from March to November, with the big Classic races — the Irish Derby and Irish 2000 Guineas — taking place in May and June. The Curragh is dramatic in any season; on a grey winter's day the plain has a bleak, wild beauty.
The county is close enough to Dublin that it rarely feels crowded, even on race days at the Curragh.