One of the burning questions for every visitor to Ireland is what time they can expect the country to be ‘open for business’. When are stores open in Ireland and are all things available at all times? When do Irish museums close for the day? Is there something to do on Sundays or is everyone in church?
The good news is that if you want to go shopping or visit an attraction, you can do it at almost any civilized time. However, as with any locale, it helps to know the basic rules of when to venture out. If you need to use government services, it is more important to know what to expect.
Here are some general tips on when to find doors that are not properly closed, although there are a number of special exceptions to these rules. For one thing, opening hours can vary locally – public holidays in the Republic of Ireland are not always identical to public holidays in Northern Ireland, for example.
Street shops and large stores
Most High Street stores (stores in major business districts or shopping malls in central urban areas) generally open between 9 and 10 a.m., then close between 5 and 6 p.m. Lunch breaks are rare, in largely unknown large cities, but some county cities may have early closing days. Some major cities in the county and all major cities are open on Sundays from noon to 6 pm; The same rule applies to hours on holidays.
Most malls and malls open around 9 am, but closing times vary. It is safe to expect a closing around 6pm Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and 8pm on Thursday and Friday. On Sundays and holidays, the opening hours are between noon and 6 in the afternoon. Take note: these would be the general opening hours of the entire shopping center; Individual stores may open later and close earlier.
Supermarkets generally maintain the same working hours as High Street Shops, although some supermarkets stay open until midnight and some large ones are even open 24 hours. However, this may be a misnomer, as “24 hours” can often exclude Saturday and Sunday nights.
Convenience Stores and Service Stations
Convenience stores generally cater to travelers and working professionals, which means they open around 7 a.m. and close around 9-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Only licensed stores sell alcohol and alcohol sales are not available at all times during opening hours. Alcohol sales are only allowed between 10.30am and 10pm Monday through Friday and 12.30pm to 10pm on Sundays (and holidays). These are times only for the Republic; Selling times in Northern Ireland are subject to local licensing and therefore a much wider variety.
Service stations with 24/7 service can be found in the larger urban areas and along the main routes; otherwise, hours similar to convenience stores apply. Note that motorway service stations are still few and far between.
Banks and post offices
Banks are generally open from 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday and will definitely be closed on holidays. There may be an extended lunch break in between. Note that many Irish banks are doing their best to keep the customer out of the door and you may find that ‘cashless’ branches are all the rage.
Most post offices are open from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm Monday through Friday, occasionally with a lunch break around 1 pm in rural areas. The larger post offices are open on Saturdays (in the morning in most cases), but all are usually closed on public holidays.
Museums and attractions
Expect most museums to be open between 10 am (noon on Sunday) and 5 or 6 pm Some museums are closed on Mondays and some holidays (especially the National Museums of Dublin).
Expect most attractions to be open between 10 a.m. (noon on Sunday) and 5 or 6 p.m. Some attractions are closed out of season (late March to October) or operate limited hours, especially in rural areas . As always, check before you travel.
Pubs
Pubs in Dublin and the provinces should be open between noon and midnight as a general rule of thumb – expect some pubs to close on Sundays, especially in Northern Ireland.
Public transport
Public transportation during the week usually starts at 6 a.m. for commuters, 7 a.m. in urban areas, and then starts to slow at 7 p.m. Only a few select services are running after 11 p.m. M. Saturday services start later and Sunday services are less frequent. On holidays, the hours of Sundays apply.
As always, it is recommended to check the opening hours before traveling longer distances to avoid disappointment.
