The Irish Smoking Ban Explained – Is Lighting Up Still Legal in Ireland?

Ireland’s smoking ban was revolutionary, and after a brief period of confusion and adjustment, it seems to work just fine. 

​​History was made in March 2004 when Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce comprehensive legislation banning smoking in workplaces.

Months beforehand, fuming publicans claimed the ban would sound the death knell for the Irish pub, and threatened legal challenge to the impending legislation being spearheaded by Health and Children Minister Micheal Martin

But on March 29, the ban went ahead, and overnight, ashtrays vanished from over 10,000 pubs and clubs and restaurants. Those caught smoking faced a hefty €3,000 fine.

Exempt locations included garda station detention areas, St Patrick’s Institution for young offenders, nursing homes, hospices and psychiatric hospitals.

Since May 2007, a blanket ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces has been in effect all over Ireland. The Republic created the first smoking ban in Europe, and Northern Ireland followed suit. What does this mean to the visitor? You will be more comfortable in most places if you are a non-smoker. And you will have to step outside and enjoy more of the Irish weather than you might like if you are still puffing away.

In 2015, Ireland took this ban a step further by introducing legislation that ford cigarette manufacturers to have plain packaging and then in 2018, further legislation forced shops to have to cover cigarettes from viewing at the counter. This is why most shops nowadays have ample cupboards behind the counters.

In February 2022 a further ban on smoking in cars, private and business, while carrying children in the car was rolled out.

Places Where Smoking is Banned in Ireland

Smoking is banned in all workplaces and enclosed public spaces – from the cab of a truck (even if smoking there would not affect anyone but the smoker) to massive shopping malls like the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. This includes restaurants and even the traditional Irish pub. Most pubs are easily identifiable these days by a throng of smokers crowding the entrance.

As a rule of thumb: Don’t even think about lighting up if you are not at home or out in the open.

The smoking ban includes all modes of transportation, from planes to taxis, with open-topped horse carts. The days you could smoke on the upper deck of double-decker buses are long gone. The Irish public is very much in favour of the smoking ban.

Exceptions to the Irish Smoking Ban

There are certain exceptions to the smoking ban, including building sites, prisons, and mental hospitals – though none of these is places that most tourists in Ireland will be visiting.

There is also the curious problem that Irish law bans specifically “tobacco smoking”, so a particular Moorish café in Dublin  can legally offer you a hookah pipe inside. This indoor smoking gets a pass because it does not contain any tobacco.

The use of electronic cigarettes, or “Vaping”, is generally not affected by the smoking ban, but whether you may or may not vape inside a specific pub or restaurant is very much down to the owner. Snuff or chewing tobacco are also not affected by the smoking ban since you are not smoking that form of tobacco.

Can I Smoke in my Irish Hotel Room or Rental Car?

Some hotels were able to provide rooms where you could smoke. This is rarer and rarer, mainly because the rooms are enclosed places of work for the housekeeping staff and thus technically under the smoking ban. Expect almost all hotel rooms to be “nonsmoking” these days. Smoking in dining areas and bars is generally prohibited.

Rental cars these days are more than likely to be sporting a “No Smoking” sign on the dashboard. Be sure to ask the rental car company about their smoking rules before you drive off if you want to know if you can have a ciggy inside the vehicle. The smoking ban should not extend to rental cars per se; again, cleaning staff may object, and you could get hit with additional fees.

Rules for Outdoor Smoking

Outdoor smoking has become popular – flirting while sharing a smoke. This works in good weather. Otherwise, all you will manage is a few deep drags before you’re soaked to the skin. The clusters of smokers around pub entrances can be annoying at times.

If you are looking for an outdoor smoking area, make sure you do not block any entrances or pathways while enjoying your cigarettes al fresco. Also, never flip a cigarette casually into the gutter, even though everybody seems to do it. If caught doing this (by a very bored or over-zealous police officer), you might have to face an instant charge of more than € 100 for littering. 

The Cost of Smoking

Going on a holiday in Ireland is a perfect moment to stop smoking because the price of cigarettes is rising and many visitors will pay at least double the price they are used to. If you plan to bring your cigarettes with you, then abide within limits set by Ireland’s customs regulations.

The cemeteries of Dublin – why should they be a place to visit? Basically, they (a) reflect the culture and attitudes of Dubliners and (b) because they also provide an oasis of tranquillity in which to muse and reflect. While some people have a mortal fear of cemeteries, others confess to a morbid fascination with them. Either way, they are part of the cultural heritage and history.

And most cemeteries provide a place to walk and reflect upon life, death and everything else. Just the right antidote to a hectic schedule, be it for locals or visitors.

Dublin has dozens of cemeteries – but only some are worth a visit. Here are some that stand out from the usual … in alphabetical order.

Arbour Hill: A Republican Place of Pilgrimage

Dead heroes of the rebellion – in a mass grave – define this small cemetery.

This was a military cemetery before Irish independence, with access tightly monitored and controlled by Crown forces. For precisely this reason, the executed leaders of the Easter Rising were buried here in 1916 – in a simple pit covered with quicklime.

Today the cemetery has been partly converted into a park, and a massive memorial has been erected near the communal grave of the 14 rebels. Overlooked by the modern guard tower of Arbour Hill Prison.​​

The important graves belong to the fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising, including Patrick Pearse and James Connolly. Other gravestones have been literally sidelined.

Chaloner’s Corner: Dublin’s Smallest Cemetery

Dublin’s smallest graveyard is a resting place for notable academics.

Size isn’t everything – Chaloner’s Corner, Dublin’s smallest cemetery, is tucked away into a corner of Trinity College, hemmed in by buildings and a footpath. 

Only a handful of persons found their eternal rest in this busy place (but more are interred under the chapel or in a nearby college cemetery). Worth a look for its curiosity value when you visit Trinity College.

The most notable grave is Dr Luke Chaloner’s; he was the first provost of Trinity College (and gave his name to the cemetery in a corner).

The Croppy Acre: Mass Grave of 1798

Nobody knows how many people are buried here or how they died in battle, facing the executioner or slaughtered in revenge killings.

This cemetery is for those interested in history only – there is not a lot to see, in all fairness. The large open area between the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks and the Liffey was used as a mass grave after the 1798 rebellion. Scores of “croppies” (a nickname for the Irish rebels) were dumped and buried here, the number varying from source to source.

Traditionally it is believed that Matthew Wolfe Tone (brother to the rebellion leader Theobald) and Bartholomew Teeling are among the “cartloads” of (suspected) rebels buried here.

Glasnevin: Ireland’s Largest Cemetery

Glasnevin, officially the “Mount Prospect Cemetery,” is Dublin’s and Ireland’s largest cemetery – it was also the first cemetery to allow burials to any (or no) rite, thus solving a pressing problem for 19th century Catholics. Its sheer size and numerous graves will keep visitors occupied for hours.

Glasnevin Cemetery in a Nutshell

This sprawling graveyard west of the city centre is a hidden gem and deservedly part of Dublin’s most interesting lesser-known sights, not only because more Dubliners are buried here than are currently living in the city. Some of those who found their final resting place in Glasnevin are amongst the most important historical figures of Ireland – “The Liberator” Daniel O’Connell (who incidentally founded the cemetery), Parnell, de Valera and Michael Collins.

The graveyard was established in 1832 on nine acres – today, around 1,200,000 burial sites cover roughly 120 acres (and it still is growing). Glasnevin was the first cemetery specifically planned to allow funeral rites other than those of the Church of Ireland. Its central point (so to say, it is not really the centre) is a massive but fake, round tower commemorating Daniel O’Connell. The tower is nearly 170 feet high and stands on a vault (open for tours only).

Due to its high number of national(istic) icons interred here, Glasnevin Cemetery is often regarded as Ireland’s “National Cemetery.”

The relatively new Glasnevin Museum gives insights into the history of the place and the history of burials in general. Guided tours are also available.

Caveat Emptor

The sheer size of Glasnevin and the vast number of graves, plus often unclear markings, make navigation complicated. Take a tour if you are pressed for time. Also, the remote parts can be dusty or muddy in hot (or wet) weather. Some memorials are well past their sell-by-date and threaten to topple at the slightest breeze. Fortunately, large sections of the most historic areas have undergone significant renovation in recent years.

Glasnevin Cemetery Highlights for the Visitor

While visiting graveyards may be seen as a very morbid way to spend a vacation, Glasnevin is a special place – not only was the foundation of this non-Anglican cemetery an essential part of the fight for Catholic Emancipation, “The Liberator” himself is even buried here. A massive (though fake) round tower marks Daniel O’Connell’s grave. Nearby a simple (but huge) boulder highlights Charles Stewart Parnell’s last resting place. Originally this was a mass grave for paupers … the poor are all but forgotten today.

Other important “residents” are:

• Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
• Brendan Behan (a stone with a hole and a history)
• Christy Brown
• Roger Casement
• Michael Collins (nearly always adorned in fresh flowers)
• Eamon de Valera (refreshingly low-key)
• James Fitzharris (a.k.a. Skin-the-Goat)
• John Stanislaus Joyce
• Luke Kelly (folk singer of “The Dubliners” fame)
• Kitty Kiernan (sometimes visitors ask for “Julia Robert’s grave,” but the effects of the film “Michael Collins” seem to wear off)
• James Larkin
• James Clarence Mangan
• Frank Ryan
• Dora Sigerson
• Francis and Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
• Zozimus

But a general walk around Glasnevin will have you discovering other treasures – like the modern headstones adorned with the emblems of English soccer clubs. Or the eerie rows of graves for stillborn children or those dying shortly after birth (with mounds of toys and wind chimes).

And also, have a look at the high walls surrounding Glasnevin Cemetery. These are not for show; they were built to deter body snatchers (also called “resurrectionists”). With armed guards being stationed in the pseudo-medieval watchtowers.

The Huguenot Cemetery in Merrion Row: An Island of Tranquility

This is Dublin’s most colourful cemetery—when the bluebells come out in bloom.

Often missed by the huddled masses walking between Merrion Square and Saint Stephen’s Green, this small cemetery commands attention mainly in spring – when it is covered in an abundance of bluebells! In 1693 this area was designated the “French Burial Ground” for Dublin’s small community of Huguenot refugees. It closed in 1901 but is relatively well preserved.

The most notable grave is the Du Bedat family plot – which might have inspired James Joyce to a passage in “Ulysses” (though there are Du Bedat tombs in Mount Jerome as well).

Mount Jerome Cemetery: Victorian Splendor

Though some tombs are tumbling, this Victorian cemetery is among the best in the world, and like Glasnevin, this, too, is a cemetery for all religious denominations. But although Mount Jerome was founded in 1836, the first Catholic burials only took place in the 1920s – when gravediggers at Glasnevin went on strike. Today the cemetery is owned by the funeral parlour Massey, all 47 acres of it, with maybe the finest collection of Victorian funerary monuments in Ireland.

Comparisons to Paris’ Père-Lachaise and London’s Highgate have been drawn.

Mount Jerome in a Nutshell

If you like cemeteries, you will love Mount Jerome Cemetery, often called Harold’s Cross Cemetery – here, wealthy Victorians set monuments to themselves, built to last. They couldn’t take their wealth with them. So they made sure they could still flaunt it for decades and centuries. Not consistently too successful … some monuments are in a state of gentle decay, and others (especially those made of sandstone) are rotting away at an alarming rate. But this only adds to the attractiveness of Mount Jerome (see the image gallery for proof). Definitely recommended for anybody in search of Victorian Dublin.

A Short History of Mount Jerome Cemetery

The “General Cemetery Company of Dublin” purchased the land in 1834, opening a non-denominational cemetery in 1836. Catholic burials were, however, not conducted here – the faithful flocked to Glasnevin instead. The imposing Gothic funeral chapel was designed by William Atkins in 1847. And in 1984, the entire cemetery was bought by the Dublin undertaker Massey. Mount Jerome also has the first Muslim graveyard in Ireland, near the entrance, to the right.

What to Expect at Mount Jerome Cemetery

In all fairness, right from the start, the cemetery’s picturesque (and inevitable) decay requires extra care from the visitor. I would not recommend leaning against any monuments; judging from some spectacular collapses, you might raise some dust by doing so. And watch your step – monuments, enclosures, and sinkholes conspire to provide a twisted ankle as a lasting memento of your visit.

Apart from this, the cemetery is safe; there are no dark corners to avoid. Only make sure to mind the time. The cemetery gates are closed and locked at 4 pm sharp. Escaping over the walls looks next to impossible.

So why should you visit? Mount Jerome is favourably compared to Pere-Lachaise in Paris and Highgate in London (obviously minus both Jim Morrison and Karl Marx) as one of Europe’s most splendid 19th-century cemeteries. Some prominent persons are interred, but the funerary architecture and sculpture are the main attractions. Conservative family vaults, some serviced by sunken roads, compete with Egyptian-style tombs. And amongst dozens of angels clutching all sorts of paraphernalia, you will find a dog pining for its dead master. A dog carved from stone, but you might encounter the odd live fox loping leisurely through the rows of gravestones.

Important graves to seek out include those of

• Sir William Wilde (father of Oscar)
• Thomas Davis
• Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
• John Millington Synge
• Æ (George Russell)
• Jack B. Yeats (brother to W.B. Yeats)
• Sir William Rowan Hamilton
• George Petrie

But there are more modern graves, some blandly uninteresting, others quite intriguing. It pays off to wander about and wonder what happened to this person; sometimes, a newspaper archives scan will help elicit a story. And several unmarked graves, the last resting place of the children of “fallen women” from (by now infamous) church-run homes, might have interesting (if haunting) stories to tell, too.

The disadvantage: Mount Jerome is off the beaten track and not on the main tourist route. But it is easy to get to Dublin’s city centre by bus. And a café on the cemetery grounds even provides some refreshments.

If you like spooky, try for an overcast (but dry) day for your Mount Jerome visit.

St Mary’s Howth: Grave of the Unknown Tram Builder

A graveyard with many identified burials – yet the unknown dead command the most attention.

The “Stranger’s Bank” at old Saint Mary’s Abbey was used for unidentified victims of disasters at sea. But when the Dollymount to Howth tram line was built in the last years of the 19th century, an unknown “ganger” (presumed to be English) died during work and was also buried here. Colleagues set up two tram rails to memorialise him here – one of the strangest grave markers in Dublin.

Another notable grave is the carved tomb of Christopher St. Lawrence and Anna Plunkett (c. 1470).

Michan’s Graveyard and Vaults:

The graveyard, though historical, is just a sideshow to the eerie vaults.

What lies beneath is why most visitors come to Saint Michan’s – namely, the vaults and several well-preserved, mummified bodies. Here you cannot only visit the dead. You may even shake hands with them. While the churchyard is undoubtedly worth a visit (despite being architecturally bullied by new developments), the vaults underneath the old church are the main attraction. And the tour is worth every cent.

Notable graves include Henry and John Sheares, William Sydney (the despised 3rd Earl of Leitrim), the Emmet Family tomb, Charles Lucas and Alderman Richard Tighe.

Dublin has a vast array of attractions and things to see for such a relatively small city. The city is over a thousand years old, and there is something to marvel at on almost every street. The unfortunate truth is that a day is simply not enough time to see everything in Dublin but if you’re willing to start the day early and stick to a tight schedule you will be able to make the most of your day in Ireland’s capital.

Morning

Have a morning walk around stunning Stephen’s Green

Nothing can start the day as well as an early walk through Ireland’s best-known Victorian public park and Europe’s biggest square, Stephen’s Green. One of the most popular sights to see in Dublin, there are not much better ways to start the day than a stroll through the park with its elegant landscapes and large lake.

Get a Full Irish Breakfast at the iconic Bewley’s café

As you walk down Dublin’s main shopping street, take a chance to stop by and enjoy breakfast and a coffee in the flagship Bewley’s Cafe, built in the 1840s and a tourist attraction in itself, where you can get to taste the very best of a full Irish breakfast and some of the best tea and coffee in the city.

Learn a short lesson at Trinity College

Trinity College is internationally known as Ireland’s leading college and a must-see for any visitors to Dublin. The grounds are fully open to the public, with regular guided tours with no need for prior booking. The 35-minute tour will take visitors through the active college showing the four historic squares of the university and providing an insight into the historical routes and the buildings. The tour also gives an exhibition on the Old Library as well as to one of Ireland’s most treasured possessions and must-see attractions, namely the 9th century ‘Book of Kells’, which has been entrusted to the university.

Afternoon

Grab a pint at the Guinness Storehouse

Located in the heart of Ireland, St James’s Gate Brewery, Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s number one tourist attraction. Housed in an old fermentation plant constructed in 1902 and recently restored, now the seven-storey visitor experience tells the story of this world-famous drink. No trip to Dublin would be complete without learning about the 250-year-old history of the world-famous drink in a tour that ends with a breathtaking 360 view of Dublin atop the Gravity Bar with a free pint of the black stuff.

Have a picnic in Phoenix Park before heading to Dublin Zoo

After a busy morning, one of the most pleasant things you can do in Dublin is enjoy a picnic in Phoenix Park, the largest urban park in Europe. On a sunny day, the park is the epitome or relaxation and recreation. Covering over 700 hectares, you could spend hours exploring the park before heading to Dublin Zoo. Located in the Phoenix Park in the heart of Dublin city, Dublin Zoo is Ireland’s most popular family attraction and welcomed over one million visitors last year. As one of the world’s oldest yet most popular zoos, the 28-hectare park in the heart of Dublin is home to some 400 animals in a natural environment where education and conservation are rolled into one. Dublin Zoo offers people the chance to learn and see the animals of the arctic tundra and African plains all in one afternoon!

Relax with a drink and a tour of the famous Jameson Distillery

After so much walking, slow down by taking a short and engaging tour of the Old Jameson Distillery as you drink in the history, the atmosphere and the odd sip of whiskey.

The tour experience occupies a section of the old distillery, which kept Dublin flowing with the ‘water of life from 1780 to 1971 until the remaining distillers moved to a new modern distillery in Midelton Co. Cork. This attraction offers a personal touch through guided tours and whiskey masterclasses, which run every 35 minutes.

At the end of the tour, all visitors are rewarded with a complimentary dram of whiskey at the Jameson Bar and partake in a comparison whiskey-tasting session where you will learn how to tell the differences between Scotch, Irish, and American whiskey. An excellent way to finish an eventful afternoon.

Evening

Grab a bite and a boogie at Temple Bar

To make the most of a day in Dublin, you have to be on a tight schedule, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to rush everything; a night in Dublin runs a lot slower than a day. Dublin is a city full of life, culture, and great food. The city centre has something for everyone, but we recommend Temple Bar if you want to be truly spoiled for choice. At Temple Bar, you will find whatever you are in the mood for, whether Irish, Italian, French, Thai or American. It is more than just restaurants, though. After enjoying a mouth-watering meal, you can head out and hit the bars, as Temple Bar is the centre of Dublin nightlife and is busy every night of the week.

Have the craic at Copper Faced Jacks

Finish an eventful time in Dublin by heading to Ireland’s favourite nightclub, Coppers! Located on Harcourt Street, Coppers is arguably Ireland’s most famous nightclub. With usual late finishes, Copper’s acts as a universal meeting point on nights out, attracting Dublin’s revellers from far and wide. Many a night has and should end up in Coppers.