How to get an Irish IP address with a VPN

There are several reasons why you might be looking for an Irish IP address, maybe you’re looking to stream your favorite Irish content or access your local news and social media sites while on holiday. Or maybe you need to access your online banking abroad without raising any flags with your bank. Whatever your reasons, the easiest way to gain an Irish IP address is with a VPN.

VPNs are primarily designed to improve your online privacy. By encrypting your traffic, they prevent it from being read by your employer, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or government, and allow you to browse the internet anonymously. They have another benefit, though: VPNs can route your traffic through servers in other countries. This automatically provides you with a new, country-specific IP address and the ability to access Irish services that would normally be unavailable abroad.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly how to gain an Irish IP address with a VPN and list the best providers for the job. We’ll give more detailed reviews of the providers we recommend later on, but if you’re short on time, we’ll start with a summary.

The best VPNs to get an Irish IP address:

1. NordVPN: Our top choice for obtaining an Ireland IP address. This veteran provider has been growing its server list for over a decade to over 7,700 in 118 countries. Fast and secure. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Ireland.
2. Surfshark: Best budget pick. Boasts fast speeds, a global network of servers, and unlimited connections.
3. IPVanish: Most popular among Kodi users who navigate streaming services via remote. Secure apps and fast speeds. Lets you connect all of your devices.
4. ExpressVPN: Fast servers dotted around the globe that are great for streaming in 4K and downloading. Apps are secure, and connections are private.
5. CyberGhost: The most beginner-friendly app with impressive streaming speeds. Well-priced, secure, and private.
6. PureVPN: Fast, secure provider with plenty of Irish servers. Great for streaming RTE and similar services while traveling abroad. Strict no-logs policy and 24/7 customer support.
7. Proton VPN: Quick, reliable, and highly versatile. Includes a ton of privacy features and works with lots of stubborn streaming platforms. Servers in 117+ countries, including Ireland.
8. PrivateVPN: Has fewer servers than others on this list but makes up for it with solid unblocking capabilities, robust security, and low-cost subscriptions.

How to get an Irish IP address with a VPN

Getting an IP address from Ireland is extremely simple with a VPN; just follow the steps below.

Here’s how to get an Irish IP address from anywhere using a VPN:

1. Begin by signing up for a suitable VPN service (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Download and install the app. There are usually several different versions, so make sure to get the right one for your device.
3. Connect to one of your VPN’s servers in Ireland; this will change your IP address to an Irish one.
4. Try accessing a geo-blocked site. It should load instantly, and you can now browse as though you were back home!
5. If you encounter any issues, you may need to clear your cache and cookies before reloading the page, or try connecting to a different Irish server.

If you’d like to watch live content, it’s important to test your VPN with the steps above beforehand. This way, if anything doesn’t work as expected, you’ll have time to get help from your VPN’s customer support team, and you’re less likely to miss any portion of your show.

How we found the best VPNs for an IP address from Ireland

There are scores of VPN providers to choose from. While having more options is rarely a bad thing, it does make deciding on a single provider particularly challenging. To find the best VPNs for getting an IP address in Ireland, we objectively tested providers in the following key areas:

• Network suitability: We started by checking which providers had servers in Ireland capable of providing users with an Irish IP address. We also looked for providers with a global server spread capable of accessing geo-restricted streaming services.
• Speed: To ensure you can get the most benefit from having an IP address in Ireland, we looked for providers that were fast enough for streaming, gaming, and torrenting. This involved carrying out multiple speed tests while connected to their servers in Ireland.
• Security and privacy: To ensure your connection is protected from potentially malicious third parties, we looked for VPNs that performed well against our 16 different test metrics.
• Ease of use: To help you obtain an Irish IP address with the least amount of fuss possible, we found the most user-friendly services using ten different metrics.
• Value for money: We looked at more than just monthly subscription costs to gauge each VPN’s relative worth. Our eight metrics also took into account any money-back guarantees, introductory offers, and discounts.

This is just an overview, but you can read more about how we test and rank the VPNs we recommend in our methodology section below. For now, let’s take a look at the ones that made the cut. 

The top VPNs for an Irish IP: at a glance

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for getting an Irish IP.

The best VPNs to get an Irish IP address

Here is our full rundown of the best VPNs to get an IP address for Ireland:

1. NordVPN

Jun 2025

NordVPN is our first pick for obtaining an Ireland IP address. It currently offers over 50 servers in Ireland and 7,700 more across 118 countries.

It can reliably unblock sites with particularly stubborn geo-restriction measures. We had no issues when testing it with Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.

In our speed tests, the provider averaged 201.06 Mbps overall. It was the only VPN that exceeded 200 Mbps. As a rough approximation, this is fast enough to stream 4K video on eight devices simultaneously. 

This VPN includes a wide range of security features. There’s 256-bit encryption; protection against DNS, IPv6, WebRTC; and a program-specific kill switch (in every version except Android). Users can also access Tor over a VPN or send traffic through two VPN servers for double protection. NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy so your privacy is in good hands. Need help? You can contact support 24/7 over live chat.

NordVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections and has apps available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. It has to be manually installed on supported internet routers.

BEST IRELAND VPN:NordVPN is our top pick. It boasts customizable security, high speeds, and the ability to unblock numerous popular sites at a very reasonable price. It includes a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a wallet-friendly provider that delivers on service. It has over 3,000 servers in 100 countries and offers excellent speeds. While connected to its servers in Ireland, we recorded speeds of between 187.63 Mbps and 193.31 Mbps. These consistently fast speeds make Surfshark suitable for everything from high-resolution streaming to multiplayer gaming. 

This VPN works with a ton of services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. It also has a smart DNS service that enables you to access geo-restricted content on VPN incompatible devices — like old smart TVs.

Security is a strong feature of this VPN. You get military-grade encryption, DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and a kill switch. Extras include automatic Wi-Fi protection, split tunneling, and VPN obfuscation. No logs are maintained whatsoever.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, and you can configure Surfshark with select home routers. There’s no limit on concurrent connections.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is a solid budget choice. It’s great for streaming, keeps no logs, and allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices. Payments are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish offers access to more than 2,400 servers covering over 140 locations worldwide, including Ireland.

It’s great for those looking to browse and stream on the go, with lightweight apps and fast speeds. In our tests for this article, the provider averaged 172.96 Mbps. This was more than 33 Mbps faster than the combined average speeds of the other tested providers. 

IPVanish is great at unblocking a wide range of streaming platforms. As well as Irish services like RTE, it works with BBC iPlayer in the UK, and Hulu in the US.

Considering its low price point, IPVanish actually includes a wide range of security features. There’s 256-bit encryption, for instance, as well as DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch. This service also allows you to change your IP address at timed intervals, obfuscate OpenVPN traffic, and block local connections entirely. IPVanish keeps no logs whatsoever and has 24/7 customer support via live chat.

Another standout feature of IPVanish is its new Advanced plan, which includes an unlimited VPN, one terabyte of secure cloud storage, and a cloud-based browser that ensures your browsing is sandboxed on a remote server. This protects you against malware, trackers, and cookies.

IPVanish has apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick. As IPVanish has no connection limit, it gives you the freedom to protect all of your devices at once. Manual configuration is required for Linux systems and select wireless routers.

FAST, VERSATILE VPN:IPVanish offers advanced security features, consistently high speeds, and the ability to protect every one of your devices. A 30-day money-back guarantee is included.

Read our full review of IPVanish.

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4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a strong, general-purpose VPN with more than 3,000 servers spread across 105 countries, including Ireland. While connected to its servers in Ireland, we measured speeds of between 126.61 Mbps and 132.5 Mbps. This makes ExpressVPN suitable for streaming live HD video without any noticeable buffering.

Better still, the provider is able to unblock a huge range of geo-blocked services, including RTÉ Player, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Virgin Media One.

It offers 256-bit encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch, to guarantee your privacy at all times. Further, ExpressVPN does not log any information that could identify you. For added anonymity, users can choose to pay with Bitcoin. Customer support is available via 24/7 live chat in case you run into any problems.

This VPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It offers custom router firmware to simplify the process of protecting all of your devices simultaneously.

GREAT ALL-ROUNDER:ExpressVPN is a versatile VPN. It’s fast, reliable, security-conscious, and able to unblock a huge array of geo-locked services abroad. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our review of ExpressVPN.

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5. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has more than 10,000 servers across 100+ countries, including 60+ in Ireland alone. It maintains a separate server list and even tells you which platforms each can unblock, so there’s no guesswork involved.

In our speed tests, CyberGhost averaged 134.57 Mbps overall. This is fast enough for video calling, multiplayer gaming, and streaming live HD video without interruption.

CyberGhost is extremely user-friendly, but this doesn’t mean it lacks in the security department. It features 256-bit encryption, an always-on kill switch (on every platform), IPv6 and DNS leak protection, as well as automatic ad blocking and malware scanning.

This VPN doesn’t log any personally identifiable information, so you don’t have to worry about your activities being traced back to you, although you can pay with Bitcoin for added peace of mind. Should you have any problems, live chat is available 24/7.

CyberGhost allows up to seven simultaneous device connections and offers apps for Linux, macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android devices. It also works with select network routers but must be configured manually.

BEGINNER-FRIENDLY VPN:CyberGhost is a strong, low-cost service with high speeds and a suite of security options. It includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our in-depth CyberGhost review.

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6. PureVPN

PureVPN operates servers in Ireland and around 65 other countries. It has automatic obfuscation and can reliably unblock just about every major streaming platform — from Amazon Prime Video to RTE.

It’s also very quick. In our tests for this article, it achieved an average download speed of 133.18 Mbps. This is fast enough for all of your online tasks, from streaming to torrenting.

What’s more, you can protect up to 10 devices with a single account, making it particularly good value for families. Support staff are on hand 24 hours per day in case you have any issues, though you may have to wait a minute or two for a reply.

One of the best things about this VPN is that it makes staying safe as simple as possible. By default, PureVPN keeps your activities private with uncrackable encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection. It’s been audited four times to prove that it doesn’t keep logs and even allows you to block trackers automatically. We’d like to see at least one anonymous payment option, but this isn’t the end of the world, considering everything else that’s on offer.

PureVPN apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Alternatively, it can be manually installed on most routers (check the website’s help section for step-by-step guides).

STRONG ALL-ROUNDER:PureVPN is a good option for anyone hoping to get an Irish IP address abroad. Not only does it boast high speeds and all the tools you’ll need to stay safe, but it comes with a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Take a look at our full PureVPN review.

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7. Proton VPN

Proton VPN operates around 49 servers in Ireland. Overall, it has more than 12,000 spread across 117+ countries. It lets users choose between individual servers in each location, rather than choosing for them as most other providers do.

ProtonVPN is a fantastic choice for accessing region-locked content abroad. We used it to successfully access RTE, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer.

In our speed tests, ProtonVPN achieved an average download speed of 134.76 Mbps. Results were a little more variable than with some providers, though this doesn’t really matter given that even the slowest result was fast enough for interruption-free streaming and gaming.

We’re big fans of this VPN’s privacy offering. First off, it uses 256-bit encryption to shield your browsing habits from snoopers. This is paired with a kill switch, leak protection, and automatic ad and tracker blocking. Most importantly, ProtonVPN has a no-logs policy, which has been independently audited. Need more control over your connection? There’s split tunneling and port forwarding support, as well as support for multiple protocols, including WireGuard.

Proton VPN permits up to 10 simultaneous device connections and has apps for Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows. Need to secure more than 10 devices? Just follow manual setup instructions to get it running on your router. In our experience, support staff are friendly, helpful, and responsive, plus they’re available 24 hours per day via live chat.

ADVANCED SECURITY:ProtonVPN is packed with privacy features and works with most Irish streaming platforms. Delivers ultra-fast speeds and offers first-class customer support. Paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our complete ProtonVPN review.

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8. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has fewer servers than its rivals (just 200 or so across 63 countries and one in Ireland). Nevertheless, it’s able to bypass regional restrictions on a wide range of streaming services like Virgin Media One, Netflix, and TG4 with ease.

PrivateVPN permits up to 10 connections at once, so it’s ideal for those looking to browse safely regardless of which device they’re using.

In terms of speed, the provider was slower than the other VPNs in this list. It averaged an overall download speed of 55.41 Mbps, which is fast enough for streaming 4K video if your base connection is fast enough (ours was 250 Mbps). It’s worth noting that PrivateVPN allows you to improve your download speed a little by reducing the level of encryption used on your traffic — from 256-bit to 128-bit.

This service keeps you safe at all times with a combination of 256-bit AES encryption, WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy. You can sign up anonymously by paying with Bitcoin and using a disposable email address. Although PrivateVPN doesn’t offer support over live chat, its staff are able to install or configure the software for you remotely, if you’d like.

PrivateVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It works with Linux and select network routers, but must be configured manually first.

STREAM AND BROWSE SAFELY:PrivateVPN works with a range of streaming platforms and takes your privacy seriously. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full review of PrivateVPN.

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Getting an Irish IP address with a free VPN

You might be tempted to use a free VPN, but we advise against it for several reasons. First, they almost never have enough servers to support all of their users. This leads to major network slowdowns, particularly noticeable when trying to stream: video pauses and buffers frequently if it plays at all. Additionally, free VPNs are usually the first to be blocked by major streaming platforms, so the likelihood of you being able to watch anything is fairly slim.

Servers are expensive and maintaining an international network is even more so. Free VPNs don’t charge their users upfront, but they’ve found other ways to make money. You’ll find that the vast majority inject ads into the sites you visit, but this is nothing new for free services. Some don’t stop there, though, and use tracking cookies to harvest valuable user data, which can be sold to advertisers at a later date, often without the user’s knowledge or explicit consent.

Perhaps most worryingly, it’s becoming difficult even to find a safe, free VPN to use. We’ve seen major players sell user bandwidth to help run a botnet in the past, and when the industry giants don’t play fair, there’s little incentive for smaller companies to do so. In fact, recent research illustrates this: of 283 tested apps, almost 40% contained malware, over 80% leaked data over IPv6, and 18% never used any form of encryption at all.

We recommend using a reputable, well-established VPN with a track record of protecting its users’ privacy instead.

Methodology: Finding the best VPNs for an Irish IP address

While it’s true that any VPN with servers in Ireland can conceivably get you an Irish IP address, there are other things to consider if you want it to work reliably. For instance, how well does it hold up against Irish streaming platforms? Does it keep your connection safe? To ensure we only recommend the best, most versatile VPNs, we carried out tests in the following key areas:

Network suitability

We started by looking for VPNs with lots of Irish servers to help spread network load. As you may want to use servers elsewhere on occasion, we also looked for VPNs with a strong global presence. This increases the chance that you’ll have a server nearby (thereby lowering your latency) for the fastest speeds.

Next, we tested each provider’s streaming ability. This involved trying them out with a range of streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, RTE Player, and Disney+.

The scores for the above were weighted and then combined to generate overall scores for comparison.

NordVPN scored an almost-perfect 9.8 out of 10. It has plentiful servers in Ireland and 117 other countries. Moreover, it worked with every streaming platform that we tried it with. ExpressVPN and Surfshark also scored notably highly: they each have servers in 100+ countries and work well with all major streaming services.

Speed

To ensure that you can make the most of your Irish IP address, we looked for providers that were fast enough for streaming in high resolution. We carried out multiple speed tests over the course of a day while connected to each provider’s servers in Ireland.

We took measurements using the desktop version of the Ookla speed-testing app. To more closely emulate the average user’s experience, we rate-limited the base connection speed of our test machine to 250 Mbps (which is slightly below the median fixed broadband speed in the US). 

The results for each provider were averaged and converted to a score out of 10 relative to the other tested VPNs. This makes a side-by-side comparison easier, as the chart below demonstrates. 

NordVPN was the fastest provider overall. Surfshark was also notably quick, with an overall score of 9.3 out of 10. Both providers are fast enough to support all of your usual online activities without any noticeable performance degradation. 

Security and privacy

We want you to be able to browse safely from prying eyes, which is why we have only recommended VPNs with 256-bit encryption, a no-logs policy, leak protection, and a kill switch. As you’ll see in the table below, some providers have even more advanced tools.

If you’re new to VPNs, the terms used above might not mean much. To simplify things, we combined the scores for each metric into a single score for each provider. This makes a direct comparison easy.

NordVPN and Surfshark each scored 9.5 out of 10. They both use effectively uncrackable encryption and RAM-only servers as standard. They also have independently audited no-logs policies. ProtonVPN and ExpressVPN are the next-best options and more than capable of keeping you safe online.

Ease of use

To make things as simple as possible, we’ve only recommended VPNs that are easy enough for beginners to use. We’ve also looked for quality-of-life features like live chat, multi-platform support, and a lack of connection or bandwidth limits. You can see how the providers performed against our test metrics in the table below.

We scored each metric according to its relative importance. These scores were then combined and used to generate a chart for direct comparison.

NordVPN had a score of 9.6 out of 10 and was the easiest-to-use provider overall. It has task-specific servers, well-designed apps, and great customer support. IPVanish and ExpressVPN are good alternatives for anyone new to VPN software.

Value for money

Part of our testing involves comparing services to rivals that cost about the same amount. This makes it very obvious if one charges more than it’s worth. Not only are all of the VPNs above fairly priced, but we’ve included info about any available discounts and money-back guarantees they might offer.

To give you an overview of each provider’s relative worth, we combined the scores for each of the above metrics into overall scores.

Surfshark’s score of 9.7 out of 10 was the highest overall. It provides great value for money thanks to unlimited device connections and an introductory offer that lasts for two years. IPVanish also scored particularly highly. In terms of value, the main difference between the two providers is that IPVanish’s subscriptions are marginally more expensive.

Internet restrictions in Ireland

There are only a handful of blocked websites in Ireland. In 2010, Irish ISPs began restricting access to the most widely used torrent and file-sharing sites. There’s currently a three-strikes policy in effect, with users suspected of downloading copyrighted material facing suspension or even termination of their internet service.

The effectiveness of this kind of blanket blocking is questionable, however. VPNs make it trivially simple to bypass government- or ISP-imposed firewalls. They also ensure that the user’s real IP address is hidden and, as such, that they cannot be identified when torrenting, rendering the three-strikes policy all but useless.

Getting an Ireland IP Address: FAQs