Page 360 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

358  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Communications and Media band) will need to acquire a tri-
or quad-band set.
Both parts of Ireland are well served for national daily and
Sunday newspapers, and there are many Irish magazines. Radio and Television
The TV and radio are dominated by the state broad casters
RTE and BBC, but independent local radio thrives all over Ireland has three state-
Ireland. The postal system is reliable and there are post controlled television channels,
RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and Irish-
offices in every small town. The Irish are big users of mobile language TG4, as well as two
phones, and as a result, public telephones are less used privately run channels, TV3 and
now. Prepaid phonecards, however, remain good value. 3e. Other channels, inclu ding
Most large towns have an Internet café, and Wi-Fi points are five British terrestrial ones,
becoming more common. are available. There are six
national radio stations.
Public Telephones
accepted as payment for calls
The Republic’s national to the country in which the card
telephone company, eircom, was issued.
once ran all the telephone
services in the country, but Phoning from
other companies now also
provide public phones. Eircom’s Northern Ireland
service includes coin, card Cheap call rates within and from
and credit-card telephones the Province are the same as for
that provide an efficient the Republic.
service. For those intending • For calls within Great Britain
to spend more than €5 on and Northern Ireland: dial the
calls during their stay, it is area code and the number
worth using a phonecard, as required.
these offer discounts. • For calls to the Republic of
Northern Ireland uses Ireland: dial 00 353, then the
British Telecom (BT) public area code minus the first 0, then
phones, which accept either the number. Daily newspapers of the Republic
coins, cards or credit cards. • For international calls: dial 00, Newspapers and
Both BT and eircom phone- then the country code (for
cards are available from post example, 1 for Canada, 64 for Magazines
offices, supermarkets and New Zealand), then the area The Republic of Ireland has
other retail outlets. code minus the first 0, then the eight national daily papers
number. and seven Sunday papers.
All phone numbers in Quality dailies include the
Phoning from the Northern Ireland have an area Irish Independent, the Examiner
Republic of Ireland
code of 028, followed by an and The Irish Times, the latter
Cheap call rates within the 8-digit local number. being well known for its
Republic and to the UK are from journalistic excellence. The
6pm to 8am on weekdays and North’s top local paper is the
all day at weekends. Off-peak Mobile Phones Belfast Telegraph, which has
times for international calls vary Vodafone, 3 Mobile and Meteor morning, afternoon and late
depending on the country you are the main service providers. editions. The Province’s
call, but are generally as above. Before travelling, activate your morning papers, the Belfast
• To call Northern Ireland: phone for use abroad but also News Letter and
dial 048, followed by the check on your provider’s Irish News, are less rewarding.
8-digit number. roaming charges for making Ireland’s daily tabloids are the
•To call the UK: dial 00 44, the and receiving calls. It may work Star, Irish Sun, Irish Daily Mirror,
area code (minus the leading 0), out more economical to buy an Irish Daily Mail and The Herald.
then the number. Irish SIM card if your phone is To find out what’s on and
• To call other countries: dial 00, not locked (or get your phone where, the broadsheets are a
followed by the country code unlocked before you go away). useful source of information
(for example, 1 for the USA, Alternatively, you could and most towns have a local
61 for Australia), the area consider buying a cheap pre- or regional paper with listings.
code (minus the leading 0), pay phone with its own SIM In larger towns, British
then the number. card. The Irish network uses the newspapers (including The
• Credit cards issued in certain 900 or 1800 GSM system, so Times) are on sale, as well as US
countries including the USA, visitors from the US (where the publications Newsweek, USA
Australia and Canada are system is 800 or 1900 MHz Today and Time magazine.

358-359_EW_Ireland.indd 358 08/03/17 11:44 am