We prove a Fredholm determinant and short-distance series representation of the Painlevé V tau function τt associated with generic monodromy data. Using a relation of τt to two different types of irregular c = 1 Virasoro conformal blocks and the confluence from Painlevé VI equation, connection formulas between the parameters of asymptotic expansions at 0 and i∞ are conjectured. Explicit evaluations of the connection constants relating the tau function asymptotics as t → 0, +∞, i∞ are obtained. We also show that irregular conformal blocks of rank 1, for arbitrary central charge, are obtained as confluent limits of the regular conformal blocks.