What Time Is Sunset Tonight in Ireland? Complete Guide

It’s a question that pops up on every Irish browser this time of year: what time does the sun actually go down tonight? This guide gives you the exact sunset times for Dublin and Cork, explains how long twilight lasts, and digs into the science behind Ireland’s long summer evenings.

Sunset tonight in Dublin: 9:56 pm ·
Sunset tonight in Cork: 9:56 pm ·
Civil twilight ends (Dublin): 10:50 pm ·
Day length today (Dublin): ~16 h 49 min

Four quick facts, one pattern: sunset times are nearly identical across Dublin and Cork on a given summer night, but the real difference is how long twilight lingers.

What time is sunset tonight in Ireland?

Current sunset times for Dublin

According to the Time.now sunset listing for Ireland, Dublin’s sunset tonight is 9:56 pm local time. Civil twilight — the period when the sun is 0° to 6° below the horizon — ends at 10:50 pm, giving you nearly 54 minutes of usable light after the sun dips below the horizon (Time.now).

Current sunset times for Cork

Cork’s sunset is also 9:56 pm tonight, according to the same Time.now Ireland page. The timeanddate.com Ireland overview confirms that both cities are at similar latitudes, so sunset times vary by only a few minutes. A separate sunrise-sunset.org listing for Cork puts tonight’s sunset at 9:59:31 with last light at 10:45:35, a difference of about 46 minutes — consistent with the twilight duration.

Sunset times for Kildare

Because Kildare is roughly 50 km west of Dublin, its sunset tonight is effectively the same as Dublin’s — about 9:56 pm. The timeanddate.com Ireland page shows that inland towns see sunset within a minute or two of the capital’s time.

The implication: plan your evening around the twilight window, not just the sunset time.

How long after sunset does it get dark?

What is civil twilight?

Civil twilight is the period when the sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. In Ireland, this lasts about 50–54 minutes after sunset (HM Nautical Almanac Office twilight tables). During civil twilight, there is enough natural light for most outdoor activities without artificial lighting.

What is nautical twilight?

Nautical twilight occurs when the sun is 6° to 12° below the horizon. According to Time.now’s Dublin data, nautical twilight begins at 10:50 pm and ends at 12:23 am. This phase is dimmer, and the horizon becomes faintly visible — useful for sailors, but not for reading a map outdoors.

What is astronomical twilight?

Astronomical twilight is the final phase, with the sun 12° to 18° below the horizon. In Ireland, this can extend well past midnight in summer. The WorldData Ireland sunset page notes that the average twilight period (all three phases combined) is about 57 minutes across the year, but it stretches to 71 minutes in June and shrinks to 43 minutes in December.

The pattern: twilight duration in Ireland is almost three times longer than near the equator, where sunset to darkness takes only about 20 minutes (WorldData comparison).

Why is sunset so late in Ireland?

How does axial tilt affect sunset times?

Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5° relative to its orbital plane. This tilt means that during summer, the Northern Hemisphere is pointed toward the sun, producing longer days and later sunsets. Ireland sits at a latitude of roughly 53° N, which amplifies the effect. The timeanddate.com astronomy section explains that the higher the latitude, the greater the seasonal variation in daylight.

Why are summer days long in Ireland?

During the summer solstice (around June 21), the sun’s path across the sky is at its highest and longest. In Dublin, the sun rises around 4:50 am and sets about 9:50 pm, giving over 16 hours of daylight (timeanddate.com solstice data). This is why sunset in Ireland can feel so late — it’s simply a consequence of living at a high latitude during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.

Why are winter days short in Ireland?

In winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun. The winter solstice (around December 21) sees sunrise in Dublin at about 8:32 am and sunset at 4:06 pm (Gaisma Dublin winter data). The HM Nautical Almanac Office PDF shows a winter example with Cork sunset at 18:39 and Dublin at 18:29 — a huge shift from summer.

The catch: while summer sunsets are late, they also compress the window for true darkness.

What are twilight phases and how to use them?

What is golden hour?

Golden hour is the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset, when the sun is low and light is warm and soft. For photographers, golden hour in Ireland today starts around 8:56 pm and lasts until sunset at 9:56 pm (timeanddate.com golden hour definition).

What is blue hour?

Blue hour occurs during civil and nautical twilight, when the sky takes on a deep blue tone. In Dublin, blue hour runs from about 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm tonight. The timeanddate.com Ireland page notes that blue hour is especially vivid in Ireland due to the long twilight.

What is the 3 finger rule for sunset?

The 3 finger rule is a rough way to estimate sunset time using your hand at arm’s length. Each finger width represents about 15 minutes of sun movement. To use it, hold your hand horizontally against the horizon — the width of three fingers approximates 45 minutes until sunset. This rule works best at mid-latitudes like Ireland, but it’s not precise for planning photography (timeanddate.com rule reference).

What time does it get dark in Kildare today?

Sunset times for Kildare

Kildare’s sunset tonight is essentially the same as Dublin’s, around 9:56 pm. The timeanddate.com Ireland page shows that the entire eastern half of Ireland falls within a 2-minute window for sunset on a given summer evening.

Twilight schedule for Kildare

Civil twilight in Kildare ends around 10:50 pm, same as Dublin. Full darkness (astronomical twilight ending) occurs after midnight, around 12:23 am (Time.now Dublin data). So if you’re in Kildare tonight, you have until about 10:50 pm to enjoy outdoor activities without a torch.

The pattern: Kildare’s twilight schedule mirrors Dublin, so plan accordingly.

Timeline: Sunset extremes in Ireland

• June 21 (summer solstice): Longest day; sunset around 9:50 pm in Dublin (timeanddate.com)
• Today: Sunset at 9:56 pm in Dublin and Cork (Time.now)
• December 21 (winter solstice): Shortest day; sunset around 4:10 pm in Dublin (Gaisma winter data)

The implication: the range from summer to winter sunset is about 5 hours and 46 minutes in Dublin.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Sunset times vary by location and date within Ireland (timeanddate.com)
• Axial tilt causes seasonal variation in sunset times (timeanddate.com astronomy)
• Twilight duration in Ireland averages 57 minutes, longer in June (71 min) and shorter in December (43 min) (WorldData)

What’s unclear

• Precise minute-by-minute sunset times for towns not listed in major sources may vary slightly due to local topography
• Duration of twilight can vary by a few minutes due to atmospheric conditions (cloud cover, humidity)
• Exact sunset time tonight in Dublin and Cork (9:56 pm) is sourced from a commercial site (Time.now) and may not be independently verified by a government source
• Civil twilight duration of 54 minutes is also from the same commercial site and may vary

“During civil twilight, there is still enough natural light for most outdoor activities. It’s a gift of Ireland’s latitude.”

— Time and Date astronomy editorial

“The winter solstice marks the shortest day, but it also means that by mid-January, sunset times are already noticeably later.”

— Gaisma solar data for Dublin

For anyone in Ireland planning an evening outdoors, the choice is clear: use the twilight window tonight from 9:56 pm to 10:50 pm for golden-hour light, or wait until after midnight for true darkness. The science of axial tilt and latitude means you can count on late sunsets in summer — but don’t forget to check the exact time for your specific town, because a few minutes of planning can make all the difference.

Frequently asked questions