Using the telephone, internet or other telecommunications services in Ireland is very easy. The Irish network is 100% digital, quite high tech and provides services similar to those found in any other part of Western Europe or North America. The best way to make cheap calls from most countries would be using international phone cards online from website like EpinCall.

Telephone numbering: 

Irish phone numbers vary in length. Local numbers may be 5, 6 or 7 digits long. Area codes are 2, 3 or 4 digits long (including the initial '0'),

Area Codes for some major towns and cities:

To make a call within Ireland, simply dial the full number, including the area code which always starts with 0

Or, if you are calling from a landline and know the area code you are in, you can just dial the local number. (Calls will always be charged at the correct rate in either format.)

If you are calling from a mobile phone, always dial the full number, including the area code.

To call Ireland from abroad, dial your country's international access code (e.g. 00 in Europe, 011 in the USA and Canada, 0011 in Australia etc), followed by the country code for Ireland (353), then dial the dialling code omitting the leading 0, followed by the subscriber number.

For example, to call Dublin's tourist information office :

• Tip: If you are saving numbers on your GSM mobile phone, you should always save them in the international format using the + symbol. That way your saved numbers will work whether you're at home or abroad! For example, save Irish numbers as +353, US numbers as +1, UK as +44 etc.

Telephone directory information:

Online telephone directories are available:

eircom phonebook: http://www.eircomphonebook.ie/ for the Republic of Ireland

BT phonebook http://www.thephonebook.bt.com for Northern Ireland.

These services are free of charge and can be used to look up any Irish residential or business phone number.

Directory enquiries (Directory Assistance)

Directory enquiries services in Ireland are provided by competing commercial operators. You will see these numbers advertised extensively in the local media. They all charge different rates, however mostly offer similar services, so it's worth using the best value services. If you are calling from a mobile, they will all send you an SMS with the number you have requested. Most also offer call completion, but this can be quite expensive.

The cost of calls to these numbers varies depending on your mobile network and on the particular promotions they are running. However, please note that calls to these services can be extremely expensive!

Mobile prefixes in Ireland

Mobile phone numbers start with 08, and the full number should always be dialled even from the same network.

They are normally written as 08X XXX XXXX

Other non-geographic and special-rate numbers:

Calls to these prefixes are charged at special rates:

 

Emergency Services - 112 or 999

 

For all emergency services: Fire, Ambulance, Police, Mountain and Cliff Rescue and Coast Guard, dial 112 or 999.

You don't need a coin or a card, calls to 112 or 999 are free from all telephones, including payphones and mobiles.

112 is the European harmonised emergency number. The old 999 code remains in service and both provide the same service.


 

International Calls


 

Calling other countries from Ireland (or Northern Ireland )

 

The international access code in Ireland is 00 (this is a European standard prefix)

To call abroad, dial 00, followed by the country code, area code (usually omitting the initial '0') and local telephone number of the person you wish to reach.

Full international access is available from all telephone, including mobiles and payphones.

These are a few commonly used country codes.

Country	Code
USA and Canada	1
UK	44
Australia	61
New Zealand	64
France	33
Germany	49
Italy	39
Spain	34
Japan	81

A full list is available on the  Wikipedia 

For example, to call Seattle airport - (206) 787 3000 - from Ireland, dial 00 1 206 787 3000

 

To Call Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland:

To call a landline in Northern Ireland, you should dial 048 followed by the 8 digit local number to ensure you are not charged international rates.


For example, to call the tourist information office in Belfast - (028) 9024 6609 - from the Republic of Ireland, dial 048 9024 6609.

NB: You can also call Northern Ireland using the UK international access code by dialing 00 44 28 XXXX XXXX. Irish landlines and mobiles will charge a lower Irish national rate for the call, however some hotel systems / private systems may charge higher international rates as if it were a call to Britain, so using the 048 short code is advised.

 

To Call the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland:

Dial the Irish number in the full international format: 00 353 [Area Code] [Local Number]

Remember: Omit the first 0 from the area code! 


Lower rates usually apply to calls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. So you will usually pay much less than normal international call rates. 

 

Irish Network Tones

 

The tones used on the Irish telephone network are similar to those used in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Ringing tone : Two short warbling tones repeated every three seconds. This is identical to the tone used UK, Australia and New Zealand. 

Busy tone : A flat tone which is on and off for equal intervals. This is similar to tones used in most of Europe including the UK and many other networks worldwide.

Invalid Number Tone: Sometimes, instead of a verbal announcement, you may hear three ascending tones or a very rapid busy tone to indicate that you have dialled an invalid number. 


 

Mobile phones (Cellphones)

 

Ireland's mobile phone networks all use European standard GSM (2G), UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) standards.

Networks:



• Vodafone Ireland
• O2 Ireland
• Meteor
• 3 Ireland

Virtual networks - these provide full service, but do not own their own infrastructure.


• Emobile
• Postfone
• Blueface Mobile
• Tesco Mobile
• LycaMobile
• More Mobile
• Others may launch ... It is always worth checking the web for the best offers before buying a prepay SIM!

Also, to save money on SMS to Ireland use a free SMS service to such as SMS4all. 

What you'll need:

 

If you intend to use your mobile phone in Ireland, check with your phone company that international roaming is active on your account and find out what roaming agreements they have in Ireland and what the rates are for data and voice services. For customers roaming from outside the EU, charges can be extremely high, so it may be worth purchasing a local SIM card or phone when you get here.

NB: To avoid charges, deactivate your voicemail BEFORE you leave your home country. Calls diverted to voicemail are often charged at roaming rates! This can be done through the menu of your phone, or by dialing ##004#. If you are unsure, contact your mobile provider.

Remember: You need a roaming agreement for the UK and Republic of Ireland if you plan on travelling to both parts of Ireland.


 

Techncial standards:

All Irish & Northern Irish mobile networks follow European ETSI standards:

2G GSM - 900MHz & 1800MHz & 3G UMTS 2100MHz and 4G LTE 800MHz, 1800MHz (900MHz may also launch soon)

 

Buying a Local SIM card:

If you have an unlocked phone, iPad, Android Phone or other GSM/UMTS device, you can purcahse an Irish SIM card from a variety of mobile phone stores and supermarkets. Small-format Mini-SIM, Micro-SIM and Nano-SIM cards required for some newer handsets like latest generation iPhones, iPads and Nokia Lumia etc are also available from larger mobile phone outlets.

Mobile phone operators own stores and other stores selling mobile phones are present in most major towns in Ireland. You will find them on the main streets or in shopping centres (malls).

The supermarket chain, Tesco, also sells its own-brand pre-pay mobile service which offers international calls for as little as 1 cent per minute. LycaMobile, a new operator is also targeting the international call market and has some excellent rates. These operators can work out as very cost-effective ways of keeping in touch with home or making calls / sending texts within Ireland.

Shop around and make sure you get the best value calls to the countries you need to keep in touch with!


 

Visitors from other European Countries:

Ireland uses European GSM/UMTS standards, so your handset will work perfectly.

Most European billpay and prepay customers can roam here, but check with your operator for the best rates before you travel.


 

Visitors from the United States and Canada:

If you are using a GSM/UMTS phone network and you have a triband / quadband handset, your phone should work perfectly in Ireland. For example, in the United States AT&T and T-Mobile and in Canada Rogers use GSM/UMTS networks.

If you are using a CDMA network such as Verizon or Sprint in the USA or Bell Mobility in Canada, your phone will not work in Ireland or Europe! However, some networks have GSM/UMTS SIM cards available for roaming in Europe. You should call your mobile provider for advice.

Alternatively, you can purchase a cheap pre-pay phone in Ireland when you arrive. It is possible to buy a very basic pre-pay phone for as little as € 20. You can then topup with vouchers or a credit/debit card.

 

Visitors from elsewhere:

You need to ensure that you have a GSM/UMTS phone compatible with European networks and a roaming service setup.

NB: Japanese & South Korean visitors can use their UMTS 3G handsets in Ireland, but may only have coverage where 3G is available.

Check with your network and check the manual of your phone for techncial standards before you travel!


 

Payphones

Public telephones (payphones) are still available at most major transport hubs such as airports and train and bus stations. However, due to very high levels of mobile phone use in Ireland, payphones are becoming much less common than they were in the past and have disappeared from many on-street locations. You may struggle to find a payphone in some rural areas, so do not rely on payphones as your only means of communication.

Most Irish payphones will accept coins and major credit cards. To use a credit card, follow the instructions on the payphone's display.

Call charges from payphones tend to be quite high. Check for information displayed beside the payphone or on the phone's display.

International prepaid calling cards and home-country direct services can usually be dialled from payphones. However, please note that some payphones may require a minimum payment to make any calls, even to toll-free 1800 numbers.

Private payphones are sometimes installed in hotels, hostels, bars etc. The rates on these are programmed by the owner and vary. Some are extremely expensive.

 

Hotel Room Phones

As in many countries, hotel room phones tend to be extremely expensive to use for outgoing calls. It is advisable to check the cost of calls before using these phones. Often you will find charges listed in a guide in your room, or you can call the reception for more information. Reception can usually be reached by dialing 0 or 9 on most systems.

Be very careful about using any credit-card phone services that require you to dial into an automated service. Some of these have extremely high rates and may be based outside of Ireland and beyond the reach of Irish and European regulators and consumer protection law!

Most hotels will however allow you to receive calls on your room phone at no charge. This can be extremely useful if you want to take a long call from home, as calling an Irish landline is much cheaper than calling a mobile. 


 

Operator Services


 

General local and international operator services are no longer provided to payphones and have never been available from mobile phones. 

If you need to report a fault with a public payphone or other eircom service, call eircom customer care on 1901 (free of charge).


Collect Call / Reverse Charge services:

Some telephone companies provide 'homecountry direct' services, where you can use your calling card / credit card or make collect calls charged to your home / business phone account. Contact your own telephone provider before you travel for further details.

To make a collect call / reverse call in Ireland, including to overseas destinations, you can call the  1800 REVERSE automated service. Please check the call charges before completing your call, as these can work out very expensive. 




Northern Ireland

For detailed information on Northern Ireland's telephone system see this  Trip Advisor Article on telephones in the  United Kingdom.

 

Internet, WiFi and Mobile Broadband

For detailed information on how to use the internet while in Ireland, visit this Trip Advisor Article on Internet, WiFi and Mobile Broadband in Ireland.

 

Useful Info 

Current Local Time in Dublin 

Ireland Standard Time is GMT. GMT is Greenwich Mean Time .

Ireland Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is GMT +1 hour.

Daylight Saving (Summer) Time is observed in Ireland. Clocks are put forward one hour in  March and back one hour at end of October.