IRELAND | Travel | General information
Facts & Figures
Population: 3.9 million (2002 census).
Capital City: Dublin (population: 1,122,600).
Currency: Euro. Note that British Sterling (Stg£) is the currency of Northern Ireland as it is part of the United Kingdom.
Time Zone: Ireland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and in accordance with daylight saving, clocks are put forward one hour mid-March and back one hour at the end of October. During summer it stays light until as late as 11.00pm but by mid-December it can be dark by 4.00pm.
Travelling to and within Ireland
Ireland is an island of 84,288 sq. km with a coastline extending over 5,631 km. The country is divided into four historic provinces. Ulster (9 counties) in the north; Munster (6 counties) in the south; Leinster (12 counties) in the east; and Connacht (5 counties) in the west. Ireland is the most westerly country of the European Union with coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, it is separated from Great Britain by the North Channel on the northeast and the Irish Sea on the east.
Getting Here
You can travel to Ireland by car, plane, ferry, bus or train. The choice depends on where you are travelling from and your own preference. There are low fare airlines such as, www.ryainair.com and www.aerlingus.com operating out of the 4 International and 7 regional Irish airports .
Regional and Local Travel
Iarnrod Eireann is the national train service, for more information on timetables, destinations and rates see their website:
Bus Eireann provides a regional bus service for all of Ireland, Busaras the central bus station located in Dublin:
The DART is the Dublin suburban train service and Dublin Bus provides city and suburban bus services for the Dublin area. Shuttle buses from the Airport serve the main city centre railway stations. There are also bus links to other major cities directly from Dublin Airport see:
The LUAS (from the Irish word for speed) is a Dublin suburban tram service that connects serveral suburban areas of Dublin to the city center. For more information on prices and routes visit:
Student Discounts
To avail of student travel prices, you must have an ISIC card with a Travelstamp. The Travelstamp is only available at Irish student travel agencies. Considerable savings can be made on regional bus and rail travel with student travel discounts. For more information see
Renting a Car
To rent a car in Ireland, you must have a full driver's licence which has been valid for a minimum of one year prior to renting a car, a valid credit card for a deposit, and you must be between the ages of 25 and 75 years old.
Entering Ireland
1. For trainees of the European Community, a visa is not required (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein and Switzerland through a separate agreement).
2. For trainees of other Countries For visa and other entry requirements and information, see www.educationireland.ie . Alternatively, contact the Irish consulate in your home country or the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.