Rumor still has it that there is no contraception in Ireland. Wrong. Contraceptives are widely available in Ireland. It might be advisable to bring your own, however. And not only to prevent pregnancy.
An Irish History of Contraception
The bottom line is this - the Catholic church is critical of any form of contraception and so was the Irish state. Until an "Irish solution to a particularly Irish problem" was found by Taoiseach Charles Haughey in 1979. This was not intended to further immoral leanings at all.
Imports and sales of contraceptives had been banned ever since 1935 and carried stiff penalties. This ban was regularly broken and a court case started by Mary McGee in 1973 (customs took a tube of spermicide cream from her) put the rights of the individual to privacy above the state's ban on contraception. From 1973 to 1979 family planning clinics could thus legally give out contraceptives, but not sell them ... instead the clinics insisted on a donation. Doctors could at the same time hand out prescriptions for "the pill", as long as this oral contraceptive was only used to regulate menstruation. Lots of Irish women started to suffer from irregular periods all of a sudden. In 1979 Haughey introduced the Contraceptive Bill. This made it legal to trade condoms in pharmacies as long as the buyer brought a prescription and they were only used for "bona fide family planning purposes". Which all boiled down to a neat little money-spinner for the medical profession and one big joke. But it also started the process of liberalization, leading to the total legality of today.
Contraceptives in Ireland
Today you will find contraceptives on sale all over Ireland. Oral contraceptives are available by prescription only through pharmacies (note that some doctors will not give a prescription on principle, contact a family planning clinic or women's health center if stuck). Condoms are widely available in pharmacies, supermarkets and through vending machines. For all other non-prescription contraceptives talk to a pharmacist.
One word of warning though - your preferred choice of contraception may not be (widely) available in Ireland. Or the prices might be high. So it might be a good idea to bring your own.
And another thought to bear in mind is the fact that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are definitely on the rise in Ireland. Any casual sexual encounter comes with a high risk of infection. The use of condoms not only as a method of contraception but to prevent the spread of STDs is highly advisable.
