Spring camping in Ireland

[RawToluene]

I'm currently planning a tour of county Cork later this year (last week of april).

I plan to ride relatively light and fast, but I need to be able to crash anywhere for a sleep. I'm therefore tempted to just bring a tarp, a bivy bag instead of a tent.
My main concerns are the rain, the cold and the midges. I wonder is there is a substantial risk of having them at this time of year ? I may opt for a tent in that case.
I'm seeing different set-ups here and there (youtube...), but it's not always easy to judge the time of year this travel reports are in.

Anyone has experience in spring camping on the Irish West Coast ?

[bikepacker]

I did an Ireland E2E first week in May a few years back. Most campsites were open and plenty of opportunities to wild camp if that's what you like. Weather was very mixed with similar to here in early May some days rain others sunny and dry. Only place I experienced and abundance of midges was at Glengariff it was during a damp early morning after a wet previous day.

[Oscar's dad]

No experience of camping in Ireland but from experience I think it’s fair to say a decent lightweight tent is not much heavier or bulky than a tarp and bivvy bag unless you can manage without poles for your tarp. Also a tent could be less faff to put up and is more weatherproof. That said tarps and bivvy bags are fun and make it more of an adventure.

[Regulator]

Just a warning that wild camping is not permitted in Ireland and in some scenic, touristy areas it is policed quite heavily.  As long as you follow the Leave No Trace policy and are careful you can get way with it.

[rafletcher]

Just a warning that wild camping is not permitted in Ireland and in some scenic, touristy areas it is policed quite heavily.  As long as you follow the Leave No Trace policy and are careful you can get way with it.

Googling seems to throw up conflicting results. I suspect the prohibition relates more to (motor) caravans than to tents.

This from OSI

https://osi.ie/blog/irelands-best-wild-camping-spots/

To the OP:  Rain, almost inevitable. Midges I never noticed.  Road surfaces can be very draggy.

[Planet X]

I'm Irish. I wild camp.....it's not an issue. Common sense, as wild camping anywhere. Discreet. Not trespassing.....same as UK.