Three networks own the towers: Three, Vodafone and Eir. Everything else is an MVNO reselling one of them. There is no registration requirement, so a physical SIM is quick, and an eSIM bought before you fly is quicker still.
- Ireland does not register prepaid SIMs against a document. Walk into a shop, pay, and the line works - no passport, no form, no waiting.
- Three, Vodafone and Eir own the networks, and everyone else resells one of them. A tourist prepaid bundle is about EUR 20 for 28 days.
- For a week's trip an international eSIM usually wins - not on price per gigabyte, but because it is live before you land and there is nothing to buy in the terminal.
- For a month or more, buy local. An Irish number is what car hire desks, B&Bs and taxi apps want to text.
- The Wild Atlantic Way has real dead zones and data on the Dublin to Cork and Galway trains is patchy. Save maps and tickets offline.
No paperwork, which is the main thing
Ireland does not register prepaid SIM cards against an identity document. Walk into a phone shop or a supermarket, pay, and the line works. No passport, no form, no waiting.
- Three, Vodafone and Eir own the networks. Everyone else, including 48, GoMo and Lycamobile, rents capacity from one of them and resells it.
- Three and Vodafone have the broadest 4G and 5G footprint, with Eir close behind. On the west coast and in the mountains all three thin out, and no operator has meaningful coverage in parts of Connemara or Donegal.
- A tourist prepaid bundle runs about EUR 20 for 28 days, typically with 10 GB to unlimited data plus Irish calls and texts.
- Eir sells a straightforward tourist eSIM at about EUR 20 for 28 days with unlimited data and unlimited calls and texts.
- 48 and GoMo are the value plays if you are staying longer, from around EUR 15 a month, but both are ordered online and expect an Irish address.
eSIM
- All three networks support eSIM, and so does Saily: USD 3.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, USD 10.99 for 5 GB over 30 days, USD 17.99 for 10 GB over 30 days.
- For a week's trip the international eSIM usually wins, not on price per gigabyte but because it is live before you land and there is nothing to buy in the terminal.
- For a month or more, buy local. An Irish prepaid line is cheap, gives you an Irish number, and an Irish number is what car hire desks, B&Bs and taxi apps want to text.
Coverage worth knowing about
- Data on intercity trains is patchy on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Galway lines. Download maps and tickets before you board.
- The Wild Atlantic Way has real dead zones. If your day depends on a booking or a map, save it offline.
- Roaming from the EU is free under EU rules, at your home allowance, and that includes Ireland.
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