Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [629]
Although you don’t need an onward or return ticket to enter Ireland, it could help if there’s any doubt that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay.
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VOLUNTEERING
Prosperous Western democracies don’t afford the same volunteering opportunities as you’d find elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t projects where you can lend a volunteering hand. From painting walls in Wicklow to helping out in hospitals in Galway and guiding visitors in Dublin museums, your time and effort will be put to good use. Check out www.volunteeringireland.ie for all relevant information, including how to sign up and where to go.
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WOMEN TRAVELLERS
Except for the occasional wolf whistle from a building site or a ham-fisted attempt at a chat-up by some drunken guy, women will probably find travelling in Ireland a blissfully relaxing experience. Walking alone at night, especially in certain parts of Dublin, and hitching are probably unwise. Should you have serious problems, be sure to report them to the local tourist authorities.
There’s little need to worry about what you wear in Ireland, and the climate is hardly conducive to topless sunbathing. Finding contraception is not the problem it once was, although anyone on the pill should bring adequate supplies.
Rape Crisis Network Ireland (www.rcni.ie) runs a 24-hour helpline at 1800 77 88 88. In the North, try the Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Centre ( 9032 9002).
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WORK
The collapse of the Irish economy in 2008 means that even low-paid seasonal work in the tourist industry (usually restaurants and pubs) is increasingly hard to come by. Sometimes volunteer work is available in return for bed and board, such as from the Burren Conservation Trust ( 065-707 6105; jdmn@iol.ie; Fanore, Co Clare).
Citizens of other EU countries can work legally in Ireland. If you don’t come from an EU country but have an Irish parent or grandparent, it’s fairly easy to obtain Irish citizenship without necessarily renouncing your own nationality, and this opens the door to employment throughout the EU. Obtaining citizenship isn’t an overnight procedure, though; enquire at an Irish embassy or consulate in your own country.
To work in the North, citizens of Commonwealth countries who are aged 17 to 27 can apply for a Working Holiday Entry Certificate, which allows them to spend two years in the UK (and therefore Northern Ireland) and to take work that’s ‘incidental’ to a holiday. You need to apply – before you travel – at the British consulate or high commission in your country. In the Republic, a similar system, the Working Holiday Authorisation, allows citizens of Australia, New Zealand and Canada to work casually so they can take an extended holiday; again, you must apply while still in your own country.
Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born parent may be eligible for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode, which entitles them to live and work in the UK free of immigration control. Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent, or a grandparent born before 31 March 1922 in what’s now the Republic, may qualify for a UK Ancestry Employment Certificate, allowing them to work full time for up to four years in the UK; check with the UK Border Agency, part of the Home Office, at www.ukvisas.gov.uk.
Full-time US students aged 18 and over can get a four-month work permit for Ireland, plus insurance and support information, through the Work & Travel Ireland ( 01-602 1788; www.workandtravelireland.org).
Nixers (www.nixers.com) is a useful noticeboard site for those in search of casual labour.
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Transport
CONTENTS
* * *
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Entering the Country
Air
Land
Sea
GETTING AROUND
Air
Bicycle
Boat
Border Crossings
Bus
Car & Motorcycle
Hitching
Local Transport
Tours
Train
* * *
GETTING THERE & AWAY
ENTERING THE COUNTRY