What phone number should you call in an emergency when traveling to Ireland? Fortunately, the answer is short and easy to remember in real emergencies. When you need an emergency phone in Ireland, the most important is 112 or 999, which can be called free of charge from all landlines or cell phones. 112 and 999 will connect you to emergency services regardless of whether you are in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Find out more numbers and emergency services in Ireland:
Main emergency services
To access the most necessary emergency services in the Republic and Northern Ireland, one number will connect you with all of them by forwarding the call to a centralized communication room. When you call 112 or 999, you will be asked for your location and the service you need (ambulance, police, etc.). Listen to the operator and stay calm. The first person will likely only need the most critical information and then pass the call on to a specialized service where they can explain the whole situation.
A note on mobile phones or cell phones: There are still a number of areas in Ireland where mobile phone coverage is generally patchy or dependent on the network used. Your phone will automatically solve the last problem: as soon as you dial 112 or 999, it will connect to the strongest network in the area. However, keep in mind that there may be almost no coverage in some remote areas. If you plan to spend time in the desert or in the countryside (as is often the case with hikers and mountaineers), you should notify your hotel or other point of contact of your plans.
Without further ado, here is a summary of the main emergency services in Ireland:
- Policeman
- Dial 112 or 999 and ask the operator to send it to Gardai (Republic of Ireland) or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Response times vary widely between rural and urban areas, generally better in Northern Ireland. The actual response can largely depend on the nature of the emergency – if you want to report an item lost or stolen, you will most likely be asked to come to the nearest police or garda station to fill out a form , instead of sending the police to you.
- Emergency medical services and ambulances
- Dial 112 or 999 and ask the operator to send you to the ambulance service. Please note this is for life threatening emergencies only (from accident or sudden illness). If you are sick in Ireland and need to see a general practitioner (family doctor), you should first ask at the hotel reception about the nearest medical office. You can also visit an A&E (accident and emergency) department at a local hospital, but this will always incur a hefty charge and, most likely, long waiting hours. In the phone books you will also find the numbers of local ambulance services, whether private companies or voluntary units, not to be confused with regular emergency medical services.
- Fire and rescue services
- Dial 112 or 999 and ask the operator to send it to the fire service. They will provide firefighters and technical rescue if necessary. Please note that Stranded Car Roadside Assistance (also known as “salvage”) is not part of their portfolio.
- Marine and Coastal Emergencies
- Dial 112 or 999 and ask the operator to put you in touch with the Coast Guard. The Garda Costa na hEireann (Irish Coast Guard, RoI) or the Coast Guard and Maritime Agency (NI) will coordinate the response by cliff rescue teams, coastal rescue units, lifeboats and SAR helicopters if necessary. Distress calls can also be made by marine radio or flares, but this is within the domain of qualified skippers only.
- Mountain rescue or cave rescue
- Dial 112 or 999 and ask the operator to send you to the mountain rescue service.
You should be aware that all of these services will respond free of charge to genuine emergencies, although you will then be asked to provide insurance details to recover some of the costs. Also note that there are penalties for malicious, false and time-wasting calls, but as long as you act in good faith you should not be penalized.
Other emergency phone numbers and helpline
There are some notable additional services in the Republic of Ireland:
- Alcoholics Anonymous (Dublin) – 01-4538998
- AWARE Depression Support – 01-6766166
- Ireland Tourist Assistance Service – 01-4785295
- Rape Crisis Center – 1800-778888 or 1800-212122
- Samaritans – 1850-609090
Major Embassies in the Republic of Ireland
- British Embassy – 01-2053700
- Canadian Embassy – 01-4174100
- United States Embassy – 01-6688777
