Ireland essentials
Practical information
Entry rules, money, driving, plugs, phones and weather. Everything here is about the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the UK and has different rules, which we note where it matters.
Entry
Passports and visas
- US, Canadian, Australian, UK and EU citizens need no visa for stays up to 90 days. There is no online pre-authorisation and no fee for Ireland.
- ETIAS, the EU's new travel authorisation, does not apply to Ireland. You only need it if your trip also takes in a Schengen country such as France or Spain.
- Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Non-British, non-Irish visitors need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (about £16, valid two years) even to cross the land border for a day trip to the Giant's Causeway.
- Passports should be valid for the length of your stay; six months' validity is not required for Ireland but is a sensible margin.
Money
Euro, cards, tipping
- Currency is the euro. Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling.
- Contactless cards and Apple/Google Pay work almost everywhere, including taxis, markets and the Ryder Cup venue, which is cashless. Carry €50 or so for small pubs and honesty boxes.
- Tipping: 10 to 12% in restaurants if service is not included, round up taxis, nothing expected at the bar. Tips on cards are fine.
- Prices include VAT. There is no sales tax added at the till.
Driving
On the left, in kilometres
- Drive on the left; the driver sits on the right. Roundabouts go clockwise and traffic already on them has priority.
- Speed limits are in km/h: 120 motorway, 100 national roads, 80 regional and local roads, 50 in towns, 30 in some villages.
- The drink-driving limit is 50 mg, lower than in the US and UK. The safe assumption is that the driver does not drink at all.
- The M7 and M8 motorways charge tolls, mostly at barrier plazas; the M50 around Dublin is barrier-free and paid online by 8 pm the next day.
- Rural roads are narrow with stone walls and no shoulder. Allow 30% longer than the map suggests.
- Hire cars: book automatics early, bring a licence in English (an international permit is not required for US, UK or EU licences), and read the insurance excess carefully.
Phones & power
Staying connected
- Plugs are Type G, the three-pin UK style, at 230 V. US devices need an adapter; most phone and laptop chargers handle the voltage, hair tools often do not.
- EU roaming is included for European SIMs. North American visitors: an eSIM for Ireland costs a few euro for the week and avoids roaming charges. Vodafone, Three and Eir all sell prepaid SIMs at the airports.
- Coverage in Killaloe is good; it is patchy in the Clare hills and on parts of the Kerry coast.
- Emergency number: 112 or 999. University Hospital Limerick is 30 minutes away. Pharmacies in Killaloe and Ballina.
Weather
Weather in September
September is not cold, but the weather changes quickly and it is often damp. You can get sun, a shower and a strong breeze in the same morning. The grandstands at Adare have no roofs and the course is open parkland, so bring the right clothes.
Pack
- Waterproof, breathable jacket with a hood
- Waterproof walking shoes or golf shoes, broken in
- Light layers: merino or fleece under the jacket
- Compact umbrella (check the final venue rules)
- Cap and sunglasses; the low autumn sun is bright
- Small cross-body bag within the venue size limit
- Battery pack: a 12-hour day drains a phone
- Something reasonably smart for dinner
- Swimsuit, for the lake or the hotel pool
- Type G plug adapter
A little context
Some background
The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, an independent EU member state of 5.3 million people, and Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. There is no hard border; you will notice you have crossed only when the speed signs change to miles. Everything on this site concerns the Republic.
Irish and English are both official languages. You will hear Irish on signs, in place names and on the radio; everyone speaks English. Killaloe's name comes from Cill Dalua, the church of Dalua, a 6th-century saint. Adare is Áth Dara, the ford of the oak.
Ireland has more than 400 golf courses, including about a third of the world's true links courses. The Ryder Cup has been held here once before, at the K Club in Kildare in 2006. Europe won by a record margin, and it rained for most of the week.