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I am visiting Ireland for the first time this summer. When out and about touring the sites, does it make sense to carry the passport or better just to keep it in the hotel safe?

I am inclined not to carry things around as there is a higher likelihood of lost or stolen, but am always willing to listen to the "devil's advocate" and experience.

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    AFAIK Ireland doesn’t have any kind of mandatory ‘you must carry official ID at all times’ rule for visitors. If a tourist is stopped by the Gardaí in Ireland, they have 10 days to produce their driving license or other ID at a Garda station if they don't have it on them at the time of the stop. If you look younger than 18 you might get asked to prove your age when buying alcohol. Not posting as an answer because I found lots of websites that provide information on the topic but not a single official source (maybe doesn’t exist).
    – Traveller
    Commented yesterday

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Personally I never carry ID unless I know I will need it (for check in, crossing borders, etc). That has never been a problem in over 40 countries, but then again, I'm white, male, and boring looking, so your milage my vary.

We spend two weeks in Ireland last year and where never asked for ID unexpectedly.

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    I am of the opposite tradition, always take your passport but I have also never been asked for it unexpectedly in over 40 year, also boring white, female.
    – Willeke ♦
    Commented yesterday
  • My first instinct was to write as a comment on the question “what is your citizenship and ethnic origin? It may seem rude or inappropriate but in many places the probability of getting your ID checked depends a lot on that…” but then like Traveller I think Ireland is like the UK “Wait, what, ID? What ID?”.
    – jcaron
    Commented 23 hours ago
  • It may depend upon whether the country in question issues ID cards.  For example, when I visited Spain (which does) on business, I had to go back for my passport as I wasn't allowed to enter the office building without it — despite knowing some of the locals and not being of any suspicious demographic.  (Presumably a national ID would have done, but my country doesn't have one, which is why I didn't think of it.)  My colleagues there were appalled at the idea of being without ID, and advised me to carry my passport at all times.
    – gidds
    Commented 19 hours ago

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