With her temperate climate Ireland has a fairly steady weather pattern for most of the year. Basically that's sweater and rain slicker weather with temperatures hovering in the 50s Fahrenheit year round.

The rain can be a mizzle – that 'soft day' blown in with the Atlantic Gulf stream - or the occasional downpour. Or you can have showers alternating with sunshine, which makes for perfect rainbow conditions.

Some people are under the impression that temperate climates don't have defined seasons but that isn't true. It may be more subtle but each month offers variations on the beautiful landscape of Ireland.

When is the best time of the year for me? Well, having been resident here in northwest Ireland for the past ten years I have to say that April, May and September are my favorite months.

I'm a nature lover and having given my preference I find myself thinking that I may have been too hasty. What about the primroses and wispy bog cotton are out in March? Who would want to miss seeing the wild orchids that are best in June?What is not to like about a butterfly orchid? The autumn equinox light knocks my socks off but then I remember seeing the aurora borealis one time in November as we drove beside Lough Allen.

The butterflies and wild bees hover all summer- tortoiseshells and cabbage whites. Then in August the moths seem most prolific. In a damp June we see a lot of dragonflies and damselflies.

In April we are constantly keeping our ears primed to see who will be the first to hear the cuckoo. I note it down in my diary every year. (Between April 19th and 24th as it so happens.) But then there were the whooper swans that over winter on Lough Moneen. One New Year's morning I opening the front door to take the dogs out for the first walk of the year and we were greeted by a fly past of four honking swans flying in formation. So winter birdwatching can be as rewarding as spring migration.

While many of our visitors are drawn to Ireland because of the awe inspiring natural beauty they have other interests. A warm pub with a turf fire is a convenient place to shake off any showers with a hot Irish coffee. Many pubs have evening sessions of traditional Irish music where you can listen to local musicians play rebel songs, folk tune or even what is known as Country and Irish!

If you love Irish traditional music then you really need to pick a summer month because the many fleadhs and festivals as well as the music schools like the annual Joe Mooney Traditional Music Festival held in Leitrim each July.

The All Ireland Fleadh will be held in Cavan Town in 2012 in August. Depending on which region you want to visit you can usually find a traditional music festival in June, July or August. The large festivals will allow you to see many acts but the smaller festivals with intimate pub sessions can be just as spine tingling.

If you are tied to traveling to a specific region you will be sure to find some traditional music fest happening near you in the summer months. If you visit outside of the summer season you can still find traditional music in pubs and regional theaters and special local events. The beauty of traditional music is that, with the exception of the harp, most of the instruments are very light and highly portable!

But if harp music is your passion then there is a festival celebrating the most famous of the harpers, Turlough O'Carolan in Keadue, Co. Roscommon in July.

Most of Ireland's visitors are interested in the culture and heritage of this island. There is a wealth of theaters that are open year round. Some of the visitor attractions are, however, only open to the public between Easter until 31st October. So if you have a very special wish to visit a particular site then you need to check on the internet before you book your airline ticket.

The Early Christian monasteries saved much of the written records of western civilization during the sack of Rome. There are many sites of early Christian and per-Christian of spiritual significance. The dolmens and megalithic tombs of the Bronze Age residents of Ireland are not to be missed.

Ireland has three patron saints and the first of the saints' festivals is 1st February for St. Brigid. Being the patron of poetry, healing waters and the fire of inspiration there are a number of festivals celebrating this feast over Ireland. These may be simple local commemorations with women weaving the traditional St. Brigid's Cross. Kildare, Faughart in Louth, and Liscannor in Clare have some of the most famous Brigid's Holy Wells, which are open for visitors year round.

Everyone wants to get in for the national holiday on St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. Parades are held all over the country from the lavish in the cities to the charming rural affairs with their homemade floats hauled by tractors.

St. Columcille of Donegal has his feast day 7th June. Glencolumcille on the Donegal coastline is especially associated with the Derry born saint.

Halloween is another time that might be considered as the best time to visit Ireland. In the old Celtic tradition Halloween, or Samhain (say it sow – like the pig) was the New Year. It is particularly dark at this time of year and is considered to be the point when the veil between our world and the Other world – where spirits, fairies, pooka – is at its most thin and porous. So this would be the best time to visit Ireland if you want to indulge in ghost busting or fairy hunting.

No matter what month of the year you visit Ireland just take me at my word. Pack sturdy, waterproof footwear, a rain slicker and your favorite sweater. They will be stout companions whether your interest is in viewing our beautiful and ever changing natural landscape, visiting cultural heritage attractions or just pounding the pavements shopping for souvenirs.