Car Insurance Ireland: A Guide to Getting your Free Quote

In order to drive in Ireland, you must have third-party insurance. There are an estimated 475 fatal crashes a year in Ireland and 8,500 injuries.  Though traffic conditions are moderate, there are many narrow and winding road in the country and these often lead to accidents.  With Ireland's booming economy and the subsequent increase in drivers as well as cars, accident rates are unlikely to decrease but are most likely to increase.   
To get a free car insurance quote in Ireland, you will have to supply the following information:

-Personal information about you, the policy holder: (name, title, address, phone number, date of birth, gender, email address, etc.)

-Your occupation

-Number of years you have been a resident of Ireland

-Policy details:  This includes details about your car, including your vehicle registration number, the year of manufacture, the make, the model, the style, the engine size, the value of the vehicle, and the annual mileage of the vehicle

-License: The type of license you hold (full or provisional), the number of years you have had your license, and whether you have earned a "no-claims discount", which is a discount on insurance for not having had to use your insurance to cover expenses associated with an accident.  If you do have a no-claims discount, you should also know how many years you have had it as this can affect how much you will have to pay for an insurance policy.

-Desired coverage: You have two basic options when it comes to how much coverage you want, either a comprehensive policy, or a policy which covers third parties, fire, and theft.  A comprehensive policy covers your car in case of loss, all kinds of damage (including accidental), and also insures you for liabilities involving third parties.  The latter coverage is more partial in what you are insured against.

-For new drivers who have taken the Pass Plus course, it is possible to get a discount on insurance.  This is a driver's safety education course aimed at new drivers and some companies give discounts to those drivers who have completed the course in the past 12 months. 

-Additional Information
You may also need to supply other information as it applies to you.  Adding a driver to the insurance will raise costs, and the driving record of the other driver can also raise costs further. You may also have to report prior insurance claims and/or accidents, and non-motor related convictions.  You will also have to report any penalty points on prior insurance.

These are the basic conditions for getting an insurance quote in Ireland, and will hold true for most residents of Ireland, the UK, and the EU.  You should have been a resident of Ireland/ UK for at least three years.  Exceptions are taxi drivers, those who are disabled or suffer from certain medical conditions, drivers who have been refused insurance in the past or have had special conditions attached to previous or current policies.  Obviously, those who have had their licenses revoked or who are being prosecuted for motor violations are also unable to get a normal insurance quote.
Getting a normal car insurance quote in Ireland means that your vehicle is right hand drive, and that the policy only applies to those drivers who names will be on the policy (you are not covered if you let a friend borrow your car and he or she wrecks it, unless they happen to be on your insurance policy).  Also, insurance will only cover your vehicle for normal use.  Normal use in this case is defined as social, domestic, and pleasure purposes.  Also included is class 1, which covers transportation to and from work as well as use in emergency towing which is not for profit or hire. 

Remember that you have other choices in terms of how much coverage/ protection you want, and it is always wise to get breakdown coverage as small breakdowns tend to be more frequent occurrences than major accidents, thankfully.  If and when such inconveniences occur, it's great to be able to get help (free, in many cases) with just a phone call.  This means you get 24 hour roadside assistance and will be able to get back on the road if the problem is able to be fixed on the spot.  Without such coverage, the cost of which is minimal compared to the services provided, you may have to pay very stiff fees to have your car towed to the nearest repair center. 

There are several reputable car insurance companies in Ireland.  Hughes Insurance serves Northern Ireland with 12 locations.  They also offer van insurance as well as other policies such as homeowner's insurance.  Some companies such as AxA Car Insurance Ireland/ AxA Direct Northern Ireland offer a discount for applying online as this minimizes paper work for them.  Use this strategy and get quotes from several companies to get cheap car insurance in Ireland.