Film production in Galway

Between June and December, usable daylight in Galway moves by 9h 24min — from 16h 57min down to 7h 33min. 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 Galway rises at 05:09 and sets at 22:06; the evening golden hour starts at 21:09 and runs for 57 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:45–16:19, with a 67-minute golden-hour window from 15:12.

For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 46 and 67 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.

Sun times for Galway — computed for 2026, timezone Europe/Dublin
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightGolden hour (evening, from)
January08:4416:488h 04min15:47
February07:5617:479h 51min16:56
March06:5218:4011h 48min17:54
April06:3820:3613h 58min19:49
May05:3821:2915h 51min20:37
June05:0922:0616h 57min21:09
July05:2821:5816h 30min21:03
August06:1721:0614h 50min20:18
September07:1019:5512h 44min19:09
October08:0318:4210h 39min17:54
November08:0116:428h 41min15:45
December08:4516:197h 33min15:12

Blue hour and shooting windows

Blue hour in Galway starts at 22:37 in June and ends at 22:58 — a window of 21 minutes. In December it is 16 minutes from 16:45. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.

Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:40) and September (19:55) there are 75 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.

Weather and washout risk

Galway averages 19 rain days in August and 13 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in August statistically loses 1.9 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.

Climate profile for Galway (monthly means)
MonthMean temperatureRain daysSunshine hours/day
January6.3 °C163.6
February6.7 °C174.8
March7.2 °C166.3
April9.1 °C138.5
May12.0 °C1510.2
June14.3 °C169.7
July15.4 °C179.0
August15.3 °C198.6
September13.8 °C166.8
October11.3 °C185.4
November8.5 °C163.9
December7.3 °C193.0

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 Galway?

In June it starts at 21:09 and lasts 57 minutes; in December it starts at 15:12 and lasts 67 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.

How much daylight does a shoot day in Galway get?

Between 7h 33min in December and 16h 57min in June. The 9h 24min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.

Which month is best for exteriors in Galway?

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.