General information for visitors to Ireland
BOATING SAFETY GUIDANCE
Click here for the Irish Government "Code of Practice for the Safe Operation of Recreational Craft" (2024 version) for safety on the water. Highly recommended.
ISA Affiliation
The DA in Ireland has affiliated to the Irish Sailing Association. This does not mean we are going to take up racing - rather it means that the ISA are going to join us in "Simply Sailing".
TRAILING A BOAT IN IRELAND
Trailers and Towing Recent regulations on trailing and towing have been introduced to harmonize requirements for towing of trailers. These include
- Requirement for BE class driving licence for towing a trailer other than type O1 (light trailer less than 750 kg)
- Braking requirements
- Lighting requirements
For more information see the Road Safety Authority site www.rsa.ie See www.irishstatutebook.ie/
Should you be involved in an accident, (God forbid) the other party may research your towing rig to find fault. In this case you must be compliant at least with the conditions set out in the owners' manual for the car. Regulations in Ireland are consistent with UK and EU requiring a "CE" licence to tow if the maximum allowable weight of the two vehicles combined is 3.5 tonnes. The speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer is 80kph.
Note in Ireland we drive on the left. Continental drivers remember that you are more likely to make a mistake as to which side of the road you should be on, after a few days, rather than on your first day here.
GETTING HERE
Visitors will find a big improvement in Irish roads, almost all of the Belfast to Cork route is motorway, and similar improvements between Dublin and Galway. For anyone coming from Rosslare to Cork, note that Waterford & New Ross are bypassed by motorway. There are tolls and they do not accept sterling. Tolls for the M50 must be paid on line or in certain filling stations or groceries.
There is now no ferry company operating between Swansea and Cork.
IMPORTATION OF BOATS
Persons bringing boats into Ireland should have registration documentation, or some proof of ownership. If the Customs officials have any concerns at all about you, they will want to know it is a temporary importation so a copy of the rally application form or other correspondence is recommended as evidence. Don't mention the "B" word.
Nasty little Hitchhikers - Exotic species
The spread of Zebra mussels is a threat to the isolated freshwater lakes in Ireland. The Shannon waterway is infested, and Zebra mussels have been found in all connected canals and lakes. If you are intending to launch your trailer-sailer in fresh water please consult the local fisheries board, and in any event, thoroughly clean your boat including fishing tackle bilgewater, cooling systems and keel slots, before and after your visit. Note the Zebra Mussel are not the only nuisance species which can be spread by visiting boats.
AFLOAT
Personal Buoyancy and common sense
It is mandatory under Irish Law to have a personal buoyancy aid for each person on board, and it is illegal to participate in towing while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. It is worth bearing the Merchant Shipping (pleasure craft) (lifejackets and operation) (safety) Regulations 2004 and the Maritime Safety Act of 2005 in mind. The Maritime Safety Act requires users of the water to behave properly in a wide range of aspects and enables the waterways and harbour authorities and the Coast guard to enforce the regulations, including confiscating the boat. Despite this legislation, there are plenty of Irish and visitors having fun on the water, and still a few idiots about.
Permits, Licences and Regulation
No permits are needed at present to operate a boat in Ireland other than on Waterways Ireland rivers and canals. If using VHF you are required to possess a station licence and an operators' licence from your home country.
WEATHER FORECASTS
Forecasts are issued at 01:03, and every 3 hours thereafter. A call is given on CH 16 and the forecast is issued on Irish Coastguard working channels.
The Irish weather service sea area map is here. It is worth printing this map for reference when receiving a forecast. It is also worth touring the Met Eireann site.
You can download forecasts including weather maps to your PDA or GPRS phone from http://mobile.met.ie
We strongly recommend the official Met Éireann weather app, it is available for free download on both Android and iOS devices. It provides detailed Irish weather forecasts, animated radar maps, and regional outlooks.
END
Last updated 18:27 on 3 June 2026
