I used to have a running joke with a friend of mine (both of us are Canadian) but he lived in Japan and I lived in Cork. The Japanese, he said, were very proud of their four distinct seasons. Canada? We got four DISTINCT seasons. Ireland gets four seasons at the same time. I have on many occasions been rained on in the sun, and an umbrella is useless because of the wind. To close the loop, though, I bought a Japanese umbrella and found it to be the only one that survived for more than a few weeks. Still have it, actually. Used it yesterday.

But you will be rained on and the drive will always take longer than you think. Speed limit signs off the motorways are basically for show, but the drive will be fun, especially down in the southwest.

Also: for parking in Cork city centre (or many/most other towns, actually), it can be difficult at best. Parking Discs (not actually a disc but a scratch card) are available at most convenience stores, one card is valid for varying periods of time depending on the street. If you can find a Tesco or Supervalu or something then you might be able to scam a few hours parking, otherwise there should be good parking structures/lots around. GPS will be key, though, as places like Cork City Centre are just a maze of one-ways.