To find a phone number in Ireland, first decide whether the number is in Eire (the Irish Republic) or Northern Ireland, as the phone books and dialling codes are different. The Ireland (Eire) telephone country code is 353, but Northern Ireland is regarded as part of the UK, so its phone country code is 44 with an area code of 28. In both Irelands, you don’t need the telephone area code if you’re dialling within the area, e.g. Dublin, itself.

When calling an Irish phone number from outside the country, you must omit the "0" from the beginning of the area code. From the Irish Republic you can dial 048 for Northern Ireland landline access (may also be dialed as an international call to the UK using 004428 ). You have to dial the complete number for mobile (cell) phones in Ireland, but miss off the preceding "0" if you’re calling from abroad.

Free telephone number search

Eircom Phonebook Online
http://www.eircomphonebook.ie/displayhome.ds: White pages listings for the Irish Republic: use the selectbuttons to choose business search or residential (search for people). Click "browse by location" and you get a list or Irish cities and areas.

118
http://www.118.ie/: 11850 Irish business search and people search white pages; free online, it costs money if you do it by phone!

Golden Pages
http://www.goldenpages.ie/displayhome.ds: "Yellow Pages" style classified business directory. Choose a category and an Irish county from the drop-down menus.

• Festivals
• Public Holidays
• Visas
• Health
• Time
• Electricity
• Weights & Measures
• Money, Banks etc.
• Useful Telephone Numbers

Festivals

There are a HUGE number of events and festivals, both traditional and modern, in Ireland.

Here’s a link to the Irish Tourist Board Search facility

Bank and Public Holidays in Eire (The Republic of Ireland) 2011

• New Year – 3rd January (in lieu)
• St Patrick’s Day – 17th March
• Good Friday – 22nd April
• Easter Monday – 25th April
• Spring Bank Holiday – May 2nd – First Monday in May (in lieu of May Day)
• June Bank Holiday – June 6th – First Monday in June
• Summer Bank Holiday – August 1st – First Monday in August
• October Bank Holiday – October 31st – Last Monday in October
• Christmas Eve – Although  this isn’t a public holiday, some shops and businesses will be closed or closed early on this day. Shops tend to be very busy as people carry out last minute shopping
• Christmas Day – 27th December (in lieu)
• St Stephen’s Day – 26th December

Bank and Public Holidays in Northern Ireland 2011

• New Year – 3rd January (in lieu)
• St Patrick’s Day – 17th March
• Good Friday – 22nd April
• Easter Monday – 25th April
• Spring Bank Holiday – May 30th – Last Monday in May
• Battle of the Boyne – 12th July
• Summer Bank Holiday – August 29th – Last Monday in August
• Although Christmas Eve isn’t a public holiday, some shops and businesses will be closed or closed early on this day. Shops tend to be very busy as people carry out last minute shopping
• Christmas Day – 27th December (in lieu)
• Boxing Day – 26th December

Visas:

For citizens of the EU and most Western countries no visa is required. UK nationals born in Great Britain or Northern Ireland do not require a passport to visit the Republic.

Health risks:

None – unless you include excessive Guinness drinking – no, that’s impossible!

Time:

GMT/UTC

Current Irish time

Electricity:

220V, 50Hz, 2-pin (round) plug

Weights & measures:

Imperial and Metric

Metric Weights and Measures and their equivalents

Clothing and shoe sizes conversion: US, UK, Europe

Money:

The Euro (€)

• As of January 1, 2002, the euro (€) replaced the national currency of 12 countries within the European Union, including Ireland. You can exchange currency at any bank branch (hours are listed below). Automatic cash machines can be found in most commercial centres.Note: as Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, the pound sterling (£) is in use and denominations are similar to that of the euro.
• Bank Opening Hours Most banks in Ireland are open from Monday to Friday from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. One day a week there’s usually extended opening until 5.00 p.m., often Thursdays, although it varies.In Northern Ireland the opening hours are 10.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. In some places, the banks close for lunch 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m.In both areas of Ireland, banking in small villages can be a hit and miss affair, only on two or three days per week. So the golden rule is: get your cash in the larger centres! ATMs have become more widely available and some post offices can also provide limited cash services.

Check out the current Euro exchange rate with your currency here (close the new window to return): TRAVEL SIGNPOSTS CURRENCY CONVERTER

Useful telephone numbers :

• AA Roadside Rescue: 1800 667 788
• Police Tourism Support Services: 1850 661 771
• Emergency Services: 999
• Irish Tourist Board Information: 1850 230 330
• Access for Disabled: 01 668 4181
• Bus Eireann: 01 836 6111
• Irish Rail: 1850 366 222
• Department of Foreign Affairs: 01 478 0822

Other Irelandpages:

Travel to Ireland: a Four Leaf Clover Europe tour to be sure!

Tour Routes in Ireland

When to travel to Ireland for your tour: weather and seasons

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Ireland online

Book your hotel in Ireland online

TRAVEL TO IRELAND WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Map of Ireland

A Suggested Route for a Comprehensive Irish Tour

Ireland has more than enough places of interest to stand on its own as a tour destination, but it is often combined with England and/or Scotland in Europe tour itineraries. The following tour route is pretty comprehensive and would take around 21 days including a couple in Dublin, but you could do it faster (conceivably) or slower (preferably).

Note: links to the towns go to photo albums on the Travel Signposts website

Dublin – Kildare (National Stud) – Glendalough – Powerscourt – Avoca – Enniscorthy – Kilkenny – Waterford – Dungarvan – Youghal – Cobh – Blarney – Cork – Bantry – Glengarriff (Garinish Island) – Kenmare – Killarney – Ring of Kerry – Dingle Peninsula – Tralee – Adare – Limerick – Tipperary – Cashel – Bunratty – Cliffs of Moher – The Burren – Bog of Allen – Galway – Connemara – Clifden – Kylemore Abbey – Westport – Knock – Clonalis House – Logh Gill – Sligo – Drumcliff – Bundoran – Donegal – Omagh – Derry – Dunluce Castle – Giant’s Causeway – Bushmills – Ballycastle – Antrim Coast – Ballygally – Carrickfergus – Belfast – Drogheda – Knowth (Boyne Valley) – Dublin

Most shorter tours concentrate on the southern part of Ireland from Dublin to the Ring of Kerry.

One important thing to bear in mind if you’re driving in Ireland

One important thing to bear in mind if you’re driving in Ireland is that it takes longer than you might think to get anywhere. In some parts of the country you’ll be lucky to average 30 kph (about 20 mph) over the course of a day! No prizes for guessing that this low rate of progress is due to a combination of narrow roads, the legendary Irish vague, incomprehensible or non-existent road signs, unexpected beautiful places that you simply have to stop for, and pubs in small towns that you just have to stop for – probably to calm your nerves after that near miss on the narrow road…!

IRELAND TRAVEL WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Our other Ireland pages

Travel to Ireland – a Four-leaf Clover Europe tour to be sure!

When to travel to Ireland: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Ireland

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Ireland online

Book your hotel in Ireland online

Blarney Castle - the Blarney Stone is at the top!

Ireland travel is remarkably relaxing. Somehow, the pace of an Irish tour, no matter how crammed full of sights and activities, seems slower and more leisurely than travelling elsewhere in Europe. Ireland may have a thriving, world-class IT industry, but in the countryside and villages life still has a certain unhurried, picture-book quality; somehow I feel it would be more fitting to be travelling around in a horse and buggy than a car or luxury motor coach.

Touring Ireland is essentially a rural, even bucolic experience. To be sure, there are major cities like Dublin and Belfast, but with a total population of just 3.9 million in Eire (including 1.5 million in Dublin) and 1.6 million in Northern Ireland it’s obvious there’s plenty of room to move in the countryside. Travel Ireland by car and you’ll gain new respect for the roads and signage in your own neighbourhood, but in a way, it’s all part of the fun.

Historically, Ireland has been divided into four provinces: Munster (6 counties) in the south; Leinster (12 counties) in the east; Connacht (5 counties) in the west; and Ulster (9 counties) in the north which is still part of the United Kingdom and is called Northern Ireland.

To give you an idea of the size of the country, its greatest length is 485 km (302 miles), its greatest width 304 km (189 miles), and its coastline extends for over 5,631 km (3,500 miles).

Ireland, home of the Little People and Celtic myths, has a magical quality to it, whether you’re gazing across the Giant’s Causeway, wandering past colourfully painted cottages in a village street, or crammed into a crowded Irish pub with a pint of Guinness in your fist and the music of a traditional Irish fiddle band in your ears.

Our other Ireland pages

Tour Routes in Ireland

When to travel to Ireland: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Ireland

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Ireland online

Book your hotel in Ireland online

TRAVEL TO IRELAND WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS