Is it normal to have irritated eyes the first time you put in contact lenses?

Absolutely: The cornea is a tissue that has no blood vessels, but like every other tissue in the body, it needs oxygen. When you put a contact lens on the eye, it has to get used to a change in which oxygen is delivered to the cornea. The eye becomes pink/red due to the change in oxygenation. With time, tolerance to the lens builds up and the redness and grittiness disappear.

It happens: Irritation is not "normal", but can result from the eye being unused to having a foreign body (the contact lens) in it! dry eye can make irritation more likely as can overwear during the initial period of use. Redness is a "red flag"! don't continue to wear the lenses without first checking with your eye are provider!