Go.
Ireland’s sketch score rose four points to 88 today, and all major government advisories remain at the safest level of 1/4. Watch for the global measles notice while you travel.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Ireland
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •The police force is known as An Garda Síochána, (literally, 'Guards of the Peace'), or just "Garda", and police officers as Garda (singular) and Gardaí (plural, pronounced Gar-dee), though informally the English term Guard(s) is usual.
- •Crime is relatively low by most European standards, but not so different in kind from crime in other countries.
- •In the unlikely event that you are confronted by a thief, be aware that Irish criminals in general are not afraid to resort to violence.
- •Many roads in the country are narrow and winding, and there has been an increase in traffic density.
Staying healthy
- •Water: Tap water is generally drinkable. In some buildings you should avoid drinking water from bathroom sinks, which may be recycled or drawn from cisterns.
- •Smoking: Almost all enclosed places of work in Ireland, including bars, restaurants, cafés, are designated as smoke-free.
- •Most larger bars and cafés will have a (covered) outdoor smoking area, often with heating.
- •Any person found guilty of breaching the ban on smoking in the workplace may be subject to a fine of up to €3,000.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Ireland is a safe destination where violent crime is not a primary concern for travelers. The provided discussions focus entirely on logistics, hiking, and itinerary planning rather than safety risks, scams, or dangerous urban areas. Travelers prioritize outdoor safety, specifically regarding weather conditions and daylight hours during late autumn trips. Whether you are navigating the cliffs or planning day hikes, the real challenges are environmental rather than criminal. You do not need to worry about street crime, but you must respect the terrain and the unpredictable weather when exploring the countryside. Stick to your plans, watch the clock, and you will be fine.
“I am prepared for the weather and shorter days that time of year will bring, and safety is my number one priority when recreating outdoors anywhere!
— r/travel
“I care more about nature and views rather than pubs and food.
— r/travel
“I am mostly looking for day hikes that would allow me to see things off the beaten path, but won't take up too much time and sacrifice my ability to see as much as possible in the time I have.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
G · 230V
Driving side
left
Emergency
police: 112 or 999 / ambulance: 112 or 999 / fire: 112 or 999
Zoom in
5 Ireland cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (11 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12