Ireland Travel Guide: Safety, Laws and Practical Advice

Welcome to the My Ireland Tour Travel Guide. On this page, we're covering everything you need to know about safety, laws, and culture in Ireland for your trip. To find out the real facts around safety, I had a chat with Lisa Kennedy, CEO of Tourist SOS, about how to stay safe and enjoy the craic on your Irish holiday.

The biggest thing people are searching. If you had to answer the question, is Ireland safe for tourists in a couple of sentences what would you say?

I would say Ireland is very safe for tourists.

And particularly when you consider the number of tourists that come into the country, I think last year it was over 9 million. And we would see and we would also get statistics from the Gardaí that like in and around 2000 tourists report crimes each year. Now, in saying that, obviously those people who are victims of crime, need support and need reassurance. And that's what we're there to do.

On the scale of things we are a very safe country to visit... And generally tourists aren't targeted for those, serious crimes that we hear about. Unfortunately. Sometimes tourists are the targets of these crimes, but generally speaking they're not, they're more targeted for opportunistic crimes the thefts from person, the thefts and their cars, that type of thing. Where it's, bank cards and perhaps cash that are taken or maybe valuables and mobile phones - so it's those types of crimes, if anything, that tourists are targeted for.

Which is really distressing when you are in a strange country. Now, at least in Ireland, I suppose we don't have the language barrier for our American tourists coming over and stuff, which is probably easier to try and get help in that scenario as well. But it is distressing. Yeah. If you're in a different country and you have lost your cards or you maybe you were thinking, oh, I'm not sure about my card, so I'm after bringing like so much cash with me. And now I don't know where my wallet is and maybe I was just in a crowded area and oh my God, was it taken outta my pocket? Is that the kind of scenario where people would start to contact your service, or probably would they get onto the Gardaí, or how do they initially engage with Tourist SOS specifically?

It can be particularly shocking for tourists when this happens, 'cause it obviously is the last thing that they have in their minds.

They're over for a holiday and it's totally unexpected. So when something, like that happens, they're very vulnerable and quite traumatized.

So it generally they would be referred to us either through the Gardaí or, in some situations something could occur, in a hotel or a restaurant, and that particular hotel or restaurant might know about us and contact us directly.

Also tourists might go online to search different had cancelled bank cards or what do I do with my passport has been stolen or whatever, and they come across our website, in that scenario as well.

And there's lots of, really useful tips and guidance on our website. And they can obviously contact us there, we're open seven days a week.

We're easily contacted through various means. So we, what we can do obviously we offer reassurance information, but we have we've been in existence for over 30 years, so we have a huge, not I suppose knowledge first of all, but also contacts with the industry, with the Gardaí, with the embassies.

So we know the priorities where to link people, and as the people are in shock and sometimes when they come into us, it's a situation where; I can't remember phone numbers or their mobile phone is gone.

And as you say, it's really distressing for them. So we put them at ease and just make them know that there's people there who care and are there to assist.

And they're not alone, which is really important. And the good thing also is that they can speak to us, we're not, it's not an automated system they get through to, they get through to a person and that's really reassuring to them as well.

And many people call into our office as well, so there's that face-to-face comfort as well. And we would, as I said, we would prioritize their situation... so if credit cards have been stolen, we make sure they're cancelled immediately.

Depending on when they're going home and the passports have been stolen, we'll contact the relevant embassy, give them all the details and all the information that they'll need to get through to their embassy, make appointments with their embassies.

Again, contact airlines, contact ferry companies, whatever the situation is, we will just be take that, all that practical, the practicalities and the challenges around it and, they won't know where to contact and who to contact.

So we have all the information and we do it on their behalf. And that's really, where we take the hassle out of it and they can come to terms with the situation that they're in, while we're doing things in the background.

And generally, thankfully they usually continue with their holiday. And I think last year 86 or 87% of tourists that we assisted were able to continue with their holiday, which is a great indication of the type of support and the quick support and the turnaround that we're able to do that tourists get back on their feet and get back to enjoying our experience in Ireland and that's really what it's all about.

That's amazing. So that's, that's nearly nine in 10. Nine in 10. Nine in 10 are continuing with their holiday after engaging with your service. That's fantastic.

And, yeah, no I suppose I've mentioned there, a lot of tourist crime, but we also deal with, accidents, illnesses, lost properties, bereavements, so there's lots of different situations that we would be dealing with on a daily basis. It's not all crime. So it's, other types of distressing situations that tourists can get into, and there's if they lose their... their wallets or they'll leave them in taxis or on buses, as you can imagine. And we try and, and we work with different organizations and agencies and try and track things down... We're busy.

That's so good actually, because if you weren't sure what did happen to your wallet and you're thinking, wait, did I, was it my fault? Did I drop it? Did I leave it in taxi? Or was I pickpocketed? Who knows? All I know is I don't have it.

That's it. And then, they'll give us the we were here, we were there, we were in this taxi or that, right? We just follow things up. And then we have contact with the Gardaí where taxi drivers leave lost properties in their wallets to various stations around the country so we can, we can get in contact with them and as you say, like tourists would not have this information. Yeah. So we can do all that work and on, on their behalf and they can go continue with our holiday and then we'd get back in, in touch with them and we've returned many a wallet, which is great.

That's lovely. That's brilliant. And then another thing we see a lot of people Googling and especially in America from America, that they're searching; Is Dublin safe? And this is an interesting question, for any country in a way. The difference between a capital city in terms of safety or crime or anything like that versus the rest of the country and what would you think about do you think it's more so that when people are looking for is Dublin safe and Dublin is the named city there? That people are more identifying, okay, this is a highly populated capital, and you know you're going to maybe get a higher crime rate or do you see a difference between Dublin and the rest of the country that way?

Yeah, realistically Dublin is where we receive most of our referrals from. And when we look at crime focus around the country, it would be Dublin, where most of the tourist crime occurs. Yeah. But in saying that, it is our capital city and like most capital cities, the world's over there, it has its share of tourist crime. Is it, less safe than most other European or worldwide capitals? No, it's not. I know we have particular situations with some areas in Dublin, in general terms, tourists are very safe in the city and, can get on with their business and, do everything that they are, have planned to do in a safe and enjoyable way.

Yeah. Perfect.

Absolutely. And as I said earlier, we you do have. The odd situation or I suppose the rare situation, I suppose I would put it where you do have that perhaps, a serious incident. But sometimes the perceptions of safety, doesn't always reflect reality. And I suppose the reality of the situation is that, serious incidents involving tourists are rare and, we continue, and Dublin continues to rank highly internationally for, for personal safety.

Brilliant. Oh, that's good to hear. That's reassuring actually as well.

And as I said, at the beginning as well, most issues experienced by, visitors are minor issues. I know that it doesn't feel like that when it's occurring. But it's minor and opportunistic, and as I said, the majority can get back to enjoying a wonderful holiday, and I think it's really important to stress that, most tourists don't expect the support and they're so grateful that support is available and that, they're not left alone to deal with the challenges, after crime or after leaving something. They're so grateful that there's a service that they can contact that has the information and the reassurance there for them, it makes a huge difference to their experience.

Oh, big time. And even the fact that the Gardaí do refer people onto you at times, I could see that being so much easier for them because if you were trying to follow up with the Gardaí, of course the Gardaí are so busy it's gonna be hard for you maybe to even get through on the phone or if you go in person, you might be in a queue waiting...

That's right. Absolutely. As you said and the Gardaí uses, quite a lot, obviously they're I, but happy, I dunno if it's the right word, but I suppose they are glad that there is a service

Yeah.

Designated for tourists, particularly in the summer months because you don't like to see, tourists, as you said at the beginning, are unfamiliar with, they're un an unfamiliar country. Yeah. They may not speak their language. They're far away from, their local support network of family and friends. Yeah. Yeah. So when they come to the counter in the Garda Station, they can be very distressed and the Gardaí have only a certain amount of time to deal with them, if it's a situation where they can refer them to our services, it makes it great for the Gardaí . Yeah. Yeah, that they're able to say, yes, we'll take the statement or take the report and this is where you get help. Yeah. And also for the tourists, that they're not left to deal with everything on their own.

So it's a, a win-win on both sides.

It is a win-win, and there's nothing worse than trying to chase up on something yourself, and then you're already stressed. That's it. Exactly. And

we can take that burden from them, yeah. And, follow up on their behalf. And generally the Gardaí then will contact, us if something is located, if they can't, and that they can't get through to the tourists as well when they come to us and we'll organise to get the objects or whatever the items back to the tourist.

Yeah. Yeah. That's fantastic. And then my final question would be, again, this is just coming up from. Some of the things that people are concerned about and searching. And the final one would be the solo female travellers that are wondering if they will be safe alone. Now in our case, we do escorted and guided tours, so they'd be part of a tour group in our scenario.

But just to I suppose more broadly even answer that question of if you do have somebody, let's say, someone that is. Maybe based in America and they're searching like, is it safe as a solo female traveller in Ireland? Yeah. What would be your advice there?

I would say absolutely it is.

And I suppose like again, like any country in the world, you take your precautions as you would any, in any situation. Yeah. And make sure if you're going places that your mobile phone is charged. Yeah. You're not carrying large amounts of cash and valuables on your person, that you let people know where you're going and what may, perhaps what time you're expected back, yeah. Let people know where you are. And again, just, if you're at late at night to stay to we well lit areas

yeah.

And, avoid going down the dark and narrow streets, just, yeah. I suppose very general. Kind of safety personal safety advice that we would give to anybody.

And it's the same for a, a person traveling on their own and particularly female, is to just take the precautions that you would at home. Really. 'cause sometimes, yeah. When tourists or people are on holidays, they do let down their guard 'cause it's, it's a, they're on holidays.

Yeah. So we would always just say take the same precautions you would at home. Yeah. And if you're. It, if you don't, if you feel that you shouldn't do something, don't, take that gut instinct. But I would say that a female is absolutely very safe.

Yeah.

Traveling around Ireland

and as you say, you just take the general precautions that you would at home and that's it. Exactly. And it's just that you're on holidays and you might feel like, three sheets to the wind, like, you're just not thinking that way.

... So just as I said, just to take the same precautions as you would at home.

Yeah. Make sure that every, that, as you would, that you would, you'd go out and you'd have, make sure that, I suppose you simple things like mobile phones are charged that don't carry that huge amount of cash and valuables. And people know where you are and you get, taxis to and from, or, that type of thing that you're not traveling.

Alone in deserted streets yeah. And you to well lit areas. So I suppose the same precautions or precautions that you would do in any, major city.

Yeah. And taxis to and from. That's a big one. All right. Like for especially Exactly. For, yeah, that's exactly

To, just to remain safe.

Absolutely. Yeah. Fantastic.