How to Call Ireland From the United States

Irish folk will get (justifiably) miffed if you think their country is part of the United Kingdom - which it's not. So if you try to place a call to Ireland using the same country code you'd use for England or Scotland, you may end up talking to a Yorkshire sheepherder. Use the following steps instead.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Travel Guides
• Telephones
• Clocks
• Telephone Calling Cards

1. Determine what time it is in Ireland. The time in Ireland is equal to Greenwich Mean Time, which means it's 5 hours later in Ireland than it is on the East Coast of the United States, and 8 hours later than it is on the West Coast.

2. Dial 011, the international access code.

3. Dial 353, the Irish country code.

4. Drop the 0 from the beginning of the city code.

5. Dial the remaining digits.

Tips & Warnings

• Some city codes for major cities in Ireland include 01 for Dublin, 021 for Cork, 061 for Limerick and 091 for Galway.
• If you're having problems getting through, dial 00 for the international operator and ask him or her to place the call.
• Calling between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. or on weekends will often cost up to 50 percent less than calling during business hours. Call your long-distance carrier to find out which hours are cheapest to call internationally with your long-distance plan.
• If you're calling from a pay phone, you'll need to have a calling card or charge the call to a credit card - you won't be able to feed the phone with coins fast enough to keep yourself connected. Follow the instructions printed on the phone for placing the call.

[pogueface]

on 12/12/2006 Greetings from the part of Ireland that IS in the UK (justifiably or otherwise). If you want to call family or friends in Belfast or Derry, ring them up beforehand and ask them for the best way to do it.