What is the legal drinking age in Ireland, and what ID may visitors be asked for?
You must be 18 to buy or drink alcohol anywhere on the island, and it is an offence for anyone to buy a drink for a person under 18. Expect to be asked for proof of age if you look anywhere near the line, because many venues work to a challenge policy for anyone who appears under 25. For a visitor, a passport is the document every bar recognises; an EU identity card or a driving licence usually works, while a photograph of a document on a phone often does not. Irish adults can carry the Garda National Age Card instead of a passport, which is the card you will see locals produce.
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Sources
- An Garda Siochana: the National Age Card proof of age scheme, garda.ie
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