Film production in Cork

Between June and December, usable daylight in Cork moves by 8h 53min — from 16h 41min down to 7h 48min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.

Light and shooting hours

On 15 June, the sun in Cork rises at 05:15 and sets at 21:56; the evening golden hour starts at 21:01 and runs for 55 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:36–16:24, with a 62-minute golden-hour window from 15:21.

For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 44 and 62 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.

Sun times for Cork — computed for 2026, timezone Europe/Dublin
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightGolden hour (evening, from)
January08:3516:528h 17min15:54
February07:5017:489h 58min16:59
March06:5018:3811h 48min17:53
April06:3820:3113h 52min19:45
May05:4221:2115h 39min20:30
June05:1521:5616h 41min21:01
July05:3321:4816h 15min20:55
August06:1921:0014h 41min20:13
September07:0919:5112h 42min19:07
October07:5918:4210h 44min17:56
November07:5416:458h 51min15:51
December08:3616:247h 48min15:21

Blue hour and shooting windows

Blue hour in Cork starts at 22:24 in June and ends at 22:44 — a window of 20 minutes. In December it is 15 minutes from 16:49. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.

Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:38) and September (19:51) there are 73 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.

Weather and washout risk

Cork averages 17 rain days in December and 12 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in December statistically loses 1.7 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.

Climate profile for Cork (monthly means)
MonthMean temperatureRain daysSunshine hours/day
January6.1 °C144.0
February6.7 °C145.0
March7.1 °C156.5
April8.8 °C128.5
May11.7 °C149.8
June14.3 °C1210.2
July15.8 °C139.6
August15.5 °C149.0
September13.8 °C127.3
October11.3 °C155.6
November8.5 °C154.2
December7.4 °C173.2

Planning a shoot here

A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.

Frequently asked

When is golden hour in Cork?

In June it starts at 21:01 and lasts 55 minutes; in December it starts at 15:21 and lasts 62 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.

How much daylight does a shoot day in Cork get?

Between 7h 48min in December and 16h 41min in June. The 8h 53min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.

Which month is best for exteriors in Cork?

Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.