Nationals of numerous countries do need a passport, but not always a visa to enter Ireland or Northern Ireland. European and UK nationals do not need a visa to enter or work in Ireland, which is a part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Union (EU). Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders do not need a visa to enter any part of Ireland, as long as they have a passport that is valid for at least six months upon entry.

Citizens of the above-mentioned countries can stay in Ireland for up to three months, and six months in Northern Ireland. To verify all visa and immigration information, visit the Garda National Immigration Bureau (www.garda.ie; click on “National Support Services,” followed by “Specialist Units,” and finally “Immigration (GNIB)”) or the Home Office (www.homeoffice.gov.uk) websites.

American nationals can obtain a passport by visiting their local post office or city hall for an application. You will need a minimum of two official passport photos, a birth certificate, a check for the application fee, and possibly other documents. Interested applicants can complete the Passport Application Wizard and check on current passport information by visiting the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs (www.travel.state.gov).

Working in Ireland

Students of certain countries can work legally in Ireland through the Council on International Educational Exchange (www.ciee.org). For others who want to work or live in Ireland long term, you will have to apply with the Immigration Bureau and/or the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment if you are being transferred with your job. Individuals with parents or grandparents of Irish nationality can obtain Irish citizenship rather easily (Americans can hold dual nationalities), which means you can live and work in any EU country.

Tourist Offices

Using a tourist office to help you locate a room should be considered only if you have had no luck on your own. Travelers' centers use the Gulliver System (www.gulliver.ie) to handle bookings, but will not be able to offer you any real critiques about establishments. Tourist offices do charge a fee for this service, keep proceeds from proprietors, and require an initial deposit.

The Dublin Tourist Centre (01 605 7700, www.visitdublin.com) is a one-stop all-Ireland shop with reference material covering the entire country. It is at St. Andrew's Church, on Suffolk Street in Temple Bar. On sale are Michelin (www.viamichelin.com) maps, which do a nice job depicting national and main highways, along with delineating counties and regions. Highly recommended is their smaller foldup, one-page map, which is great for driving and sightseeing. For highly detailed topographical maps, you can purchase Ordnance Survey (OS) maps of Ireland's regions (see Chapter 19).

Time Zones

Throughout the summer time, Ireland is on the same time as London, plus one hour in the spring and summer (called Greenwich Mean Time, GMT+1 or Universal Time Coordinated, UTC+1). This allows an extended amount of daylight for plenty of pubbing following a busy workday. In the winter months, Ireland reverts back to regular GMT/UTC time and is on par with London. Therefore, 10 A.M. in New York (EST) would be 3 P.M. in Ireland during the winter months and 4 P.M. in the summer.