A relief after months of early sunsets and dark evenings
We’ve seen plenty of heavy rainfall across Cork in recent weeks, and with the sun still setting before 6 pm, many are eagerly waiting for the clocks to go forward once again and bring back the grand old stretch in the evenings
After months of the sun going down right as many people get home for the day, it’s only a few weeks before 8 pm sunsets make a comeback as Daylight Saving Time approaches. The shift toward meteorological spring means the gradual return of longer days, lighter evenings and, hopefully, some much-needed sunshine.
This year, the clocks go forward on Sunday, March 29, meaning the sun won’t set until nearly 8 pm – that’s just over five weeks away. From there, evenings will continue to stretch. By April 18, sunset is expected around 8.30 pm, and by the end of the month, it will be close to 9 pm.
For anyone with a smartphone or smartwatch, your device will automatically jump from 1 am to 2 am on March 29, but decorative or manual clocks will need to be adjusted manually. While the change means losing an hour of sleep, it also means longer evenings to enjoy the natural daylight.
Ireland isn’t alone in this seasonal shift. All EU member states move their clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time, a practice designed to make the most of natural daylight as the Earth orbits the sun.
The European Union voted in 2019 to potentially end Daylight Saving Time altogether after 2021, following a survey showing most people would prefer not to switch clocks twice a year. However, the decision was delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
EU institutions have not made progress on implementing the decision, and the European Commission has said that it does not plan to submit a new proposal on the matter to the Parliament, meaning that no changes are expected to summer and winter time in the coming years.
Later this year, the clocks will go back one hour on Sunday, October 26, giving Ireland an extra hour of sleep while marking the return of shorter autumn and winter evenings.
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