The Irish Garda & expired tax discs !

[Nigel Worc's]

What ho chaps.

Just a heads up, no drama.

I've just done a couple of service calls to Southern Ireland and went into and out of the country via Dublin Port.

I'm not sure why, but the Garda were stopping all vehicles leaving the boat (even Irish reg ones), and asking what passport you have (they didn't want to see it, this isn't normal as I go quite often, so they're either doing some sort of exercise or looking for something specific).

The one that stopped me seemed bothered by my expired tax disc, I explained we no longer needed them, and he said he knew this but couldn't understand why "Brit" drivers leave expired ones displayed, he seemed to be looking for some kind of confrontation, which he didn't get, I just explained that I could leave it there if I wish !

It would seem that "they" still have tax discs from what I've seen in the last couple of days, so displaying an expired one because like me you can't be arsed to remove it and its holder could cause you issues/questions you wouldn't otherwise get.

[Slidingpillar]

Novel, I wonder what they'd think of my replica vintage one, ran out on the 31st December 1930?

From what I understand, replica and birthday ones are now quite common, the sellers of them were doing a roaring trade when I last asked.

[Nigel Worc's]

I've got one of those on my bike.

My guess is it "may" be questioned, as they do the sensible thing and display a current disc, like we used to, they go one better and display an insurance thing too, like the French.

[E36Ross]

Nigel Worc's said:

It would seem that "they" still have tax discs from what I've seen in the last couple of days.

Yes, We have to display 3 discs Tax, Insurance and NCT (MOT equivalent)
ANPR doesn't work here so we rely on roadside checks. (Not uncommon to see cars with discs out months/years)

[Cooperman]

I'm going there in September and I keep my old disc in the window to remind me when the tax is due.
Wonder what they would say if I took my 1964 classic car which has a 1965 tax disk!

[Nigel Worc's]

Cooperman said:

I'm going there in September and I keep my old disc in the window to remind me when the tax is due.
Wonder what they would say if I took my 1964 classic car which has a 1965 tax disk!

I'm not suggesting they'll make an issue of it, they are as nice as our coppers and generally eager to help you, my post is just a heads up that it may attract attention you wouldn't otherwise get.

If you're not used to driving over there, be aware the speed limit (and distances on signs) are in KMs in the South, please ensure you have some euros with you for road tolls (in the past they've been happy with stirling but are getting stroppy about this now).

Be especially aware of speed limits around the North/South border, as ever the North and South agree on very little and can be pedantic to each other, so as you get the road sign difference around the English/Welsh border here (slow/araf and all that bks), the bloody speed limit keeps changing from KMH to MPH to KMH to MPH, I'm sure you get the picture.

Over the years mainland plates (ours) have become more the norm rather than the exception in the North, so the Southerners tend to treat you with more contempt when driving than they used to (in my opinion), as unless they hear you speak they tend to assume you're from the North rather than the UK.

[spikeyhead]

It's been years since I've driven there, but back then the distance signs were a close approximation to a random number generator.

[caiss4]

spikeyhead said:

It's been years since I've driven there, but back then the distance signs were a close approximation to a random number generator.

No you were mistaken. Those were the signs telling you how many sheep you would meet on the road

[vrtrooper]

If they were asking what passport you had, they might have been checking for Irish nationals/residents using UK registered vehicles. I know of a few who runs cars registered away from Eire to avoid their very high excise licence fees. Bit like all the Eastern European cars you see in the UK.
Any car registered before 2008 it goes off the engine size, anything newer goes off the emissions. An example would be 2005 BMW M3, 1809 euro per year or 1003 euro for six months.

http://www.vrt.ie/roadtax.php

[HootersGsy]

vrtrooper said:

If they were asking what passport you had, they might have been checking for Irish nationals/residents using UK registered vehicles. I know of a few who runs cars registered away from Eire to avoid their very high excise licence fees. Bit like all the Eastern European cars you see in the UK.
Any car registered before 2008 it goes off the engine size, anything newer goes off the emissions. An example would be 2005 BMW M3, 1809 euro per year or 1003 euro for six months.

http://www.vrt.ie/roadtax.php

Not sure that would work though? The Mrs is from NI but holds an Irish passport and, when she lived in NI, quite validly had a UK reg car.

[4rephill]

Talk about making something out of nothing!

Perhaps the officer was just curious as to why he sees a lot of British registered cars still displaying an old tax disc that they no longer need to display!

Last time I went to Ireland (some years ago now), every car getting off the ferry was stopped by the Garda and the drivers documents were being checked. When it came to My turn, the officer was incredibly welcoming and when I told him where we were heading to he said with a smile:

"That's a fair old drive ahead of you, but it's some beautiful countryside you'll be seeing! Plenty of nice bars along the way too to take in for a rest! - Don't get drinking and driving though! Have a great time lads!"

spikeyhead said:

It's been years since I've driven there, but back then the distance signs were a close approximation to a random number generator.

I'd noted the same when I was trying to find Skibbereen.

Out of the blue there was a road sign that read: "SKIBBEREEN 10". Then further down the road:"SKIBBEREEN 6", followed by:"SKIBBEREEN 4", then: "SKIBBEREEN 5", "SKIBBEREEN 3", "SKIBBEREEN 1", "SKIBBEREEN 3", "SKIBBEREEN 2", "SKIBBEREEN 5" (at which point we thought we'd actually missed Skibbereen somehow! - Some suggesting that perhaps it was akin to Brigadoon and only appeared every 100 years ), then, we turned a corner and we found the by now fabled Skibbereen ahead of us.

In the end we decided that when the road signs were being put up, they probably had to guys doing the work and each time they went to put a sign up the conversation went like this:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is from here?"
"Ah!- it's got to be about 10 kilometres from here I'd say"
"Right you are! - 10 kilometres it is then!.

At the next signpost:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is now?"
"It's got to be a good 6 kilometres from here I reckon!"
"Good enough for Me! - 6 it is!"

At the next signpost:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is from this point?"
"Ah!- Can be no more than 3 kilometres with a brisk walk I'd say!"
"We shall go with 3 then!"

At the next signpost:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is now?"
"With that bit of a hill right there, you've got to be talking 5 kilometres at least!"
"I reckon you're right! - We'll put up a 5!"

At the next signpost:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is now?"
"I'd say it can't be more than a kilometre away now!"
"Right you are!"

At the next signpost:

"Paddy! - How far would you say Skibbereen is now?"
"At a rough guess - And I'm only guessing mind!, I'd say around 3 kilometres!"
"Paddy, we haven't got a 3 onboard!"
"Well what have we got then?"
"We've got a 4!"
"Ah that'll be fine! - It's near enough not to matter!"

It was the only explanation that made any sense to us!

[TheExcession]

4rephill said:

In the end we decided that when the road signs were being put up...

It's the "drive on the left" signs that you see all over the place, mainly 100s km away from any port or airport. Utterly unfathomable apart from imagining two lads were tasked with a job lot of them and told to go out and put them up, which they duly did, anywhere the felt like it.

[Cooperman]

I adore Eire (Southern Ireland) and have done ever since I first did the Circuit of Ireland in about 1969. My wife's family are from Waterford and it's such a pleasure to visit. The hospitality is just wonderful. We were in a bar and my brother-in-law knew the locals. I'd had a couple of pints of Guinness and was offered a 3rd. I said I was driving but was told not to worry as the guy buying that round was the only Garda for miles around and he was off duty!
Lovely country and lovely people.

[acd80]

TheExcession said:

It's the "drive on the left" signs that you see all over the place, mainly 100s km away from any port or airport. Utterly unfathomable apart from imagining two lads were tasked with a job lot of them and told to go out and put them up, which they duly did, anywhere the felt like it.

I was born in Ireland and spent the first 17 years of my life there (Midlands). Up until a few years ago, whenever I was driving over to see the family, the very first 'drive on the left' sign I would see coming out of Rosslare was on the approach to Enniscorthy. Which is around 22 miles from Rosslare...

In fairness to them, there is now a sign as you head up the hill out of the port (well, there was one in April 2014 - I haven't been over since then)!

Edited by acd80 on Sunday 14th June 11:55

[The Mad Monk]

HootersGsy said:

Not sure that would work though? The Mrs is from NI but holds an Irish passport and, when she lived in NI, quite validly had a UK reg car.

Why would she do that?

The passport bit, I mean.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Saturday 13th June 16:40

[4rephill]

TheExcession said:

4rephill said:

In the end we decided that when the road signs were being put up...

It's the "drive on the left" signs that you see all over the place, mainly 100s km away from any port or airport. Utterly unfathomable apart from imagining two lads were tasked with a job lot of them and told to go out and put them up, which they duly did, anywhere the felt like it.

I suspect they're put that far away from the port/airport because, when people from Europe/America etc, first get off the ferry or onto the road at the airport, they're concentrating very hard to drive on the left. Then, 100Km further on, just as they start relaxing about driving on "the wrong side of the road", they pull out from a junction or somewhere and naturally head for the right hand lane.

Think of those signs as a road sign equivalent of Father Dougal's: "Careful now!".

I once worked with a guy who went on a two week driving holiday in France with his family having never driven abroad before and he was worried about driving on the wrong side of the road over there.

When he got back, we asked how it was for him driving on the right, to which he replied: "No problem at all! - I just concentrated hard to make sure I didn't forget to stay on the right!"

"So no problems then?"

"Not until I got off the ferry back in England late Sunday night, pulled out of a junction and started to drive up the right hand lane! Nearly had a head on smash before it clicked with me that I was on the wrong side of the road!"

The one that I cottoned onto whilst I was in Ireland was that if there were two roads going to somewhere such as Cork (an "A-road" and a "B-road"), and there were road signs for each road, the larger of the two signs would be for the "B-road" (which after a promisingly wide junction would quickly become a single lane road just round a corner), and the tiny sign would be the main, two lane "A-road".

I also encountered some roadworks on a main road and sat in the middle of My lane was a big hand written cardboard sign that read: ROADWORKS! WORKS TRAFFIC! ←

I figured this was to tell the works traffic to pull in to the muddy lane on the left so went round the sign (whilst thinking it was a bit weird it was in the middle of the road and that they didn't have a proper sign, but then thought it was probably just how they do things in Ireland), and started driving round this left hand curve that they had created.

I was then faced with an oncoming car on Irish plates head on in "My" lane so I braked to a halt as did the oncoming car. The other driver then pulled alongside Me, wound down their window and said in a cheery Irish brogue:

"Good morning to you Sir! - I think you'll find yer heading round the wrong way on a roundabout there! Gotta say, the signs not the best to be honest!"

I was most apologetic to the guy to which he replied with a smile:

"Ah! - It's not a problem Sir. You need to take that muddy lane back there, it cuts across and meets the old road again. I'll back up and block the road so you can turn around", which he duly did.

The "muddy lane" turned out to be a track that cut through the area where the roadworks offices were and all the road building vehicles. Basically, you had to drive through the building site to get to the old road again!

Of course, no one ever mentions the time I drove the wrong way round a roundabout in Ireland after all these years! (Ssssshhhyyeeaaahhh right! )

[slow_poke]

The Mad Monk said:

HootersGsy said:

Not sure that would work though? The Mrs is from NI but holds an Irish passport and, when she lived in NI, quite validly had a UK reg car.

Why would she do that?

The passport bit, I mean.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Saturday 13th June 16:40

Why would she not?

[Brigand]

slow_poke said:

The Mad Monk said:

HootersGsy said:

Not sure that would work though? The Mrs is from NI but holds an Irish passport and, when she lived in NI, quite validly had a UK reg car.

Why would she do that?

The passport bit, I mean.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Saturday 13th June 16:40

Why would she not?

Because you can choose which one you want, for some reason. My missus is from NI, and has a UK passport, but she could get an Irish one if she chose to. Again, no idea why as it doesn't really change anything, unless of course you resent being a UK resident and would rather be classed as an Irish National!

[slow_poke]

Brigand said:

slow_poke said:

The Mad Monk said:

HootersGsy said:

Not sure that would work though? The Mrs is from NI but holds an Irish passport and, when she lived in NI, quite validly had a UK reg car.

Why would she do that?

The passport bit, I mean.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Saturday 13th June 16:40

Why would she not?

Because you can choose which one you want, for some reason. My missus is from NI, and has a UK passport, but she could get an Irish one if she chose to. Again, no idea why as it doesn't really change anything, unless of course you resent being a UK resident and would rather be classed as an Irish National!

I'm losing track of this conversation. Somebody remind me what my point was.

[majordad]

Relax guys, Ireland is still a good country to drive in, maybe exclude Dublin City though. I've traveled through the ports countless times and as you say the police here are courtiuos and fair. They will ask questions yes but you never know why, they might just be chatting or perhaps looking for something .

I'd leave my expired UK disc in place if that's what I wanted, the police won't care either way and neither should they.

I think by now ( it began in 2004 ) all signs are in Kms. Initially you could tell the new signs as these said Skibbereen 5 kms and the older mile signs just said a simple 5.