Best VPN For Ireland For Australian Users [Updated 2023]

Irish people enjoy online freedom and freedom of speech with laws that give citizens their due rights. But despite this freedom, cybercrime is skyrocketing in Ireland, with stats being doubled after the COVID-19 pandemic. Not just that, Irelanders have limited to no access to international sites due to content restrictions and internet censorship is still an issue in Ireland that hasn’t been addressed yet.

For instance, you may want to watch US Netflix in Ireland and may not be able to do so due to geo-restrictions. For all of these problems, you need the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users to bypass geographical restrictions and access the internet securely by masking your IP address.

For your ease, we bring you the 6 best VPNs for Ireland that are perfect for online privacy and bypassing censorship in the country. Simply get a reliable VPN to obtain an Irish IP address and you’ll be good to go!

Why do Australian users need a VPN for Ireland?

Australian users need a VPN for Ireland because a VPN can encrypt your internet traffic, provide an additional layer of security, and prevent any third parties like hackers, ISPs, and others from snooping on your activities. We’ve elaborated on why you need a VPN for Ireland right below:

1. Internet Censorship in Ireland

Ireland does not have many internet restrictions or censorship laws in the country. However, like other European countries, ISPs in Ireland block access to certain streaming and torrenting sites due to copyright infringement laws. Some of these websites include Putlocker, The Pirate Bay, Limetorrents, EZTV, etc.

Similarly, most ISPs in Ireland, including Eircom and UPC, have introduced a three-strikes policy. In case of downloading or streaming illegal content, the user will get two warning letters. If a user downloads or streams illegal content three times, their contract with the Internet Service Provider (ISP) will be terminated.

However, these restrictions are nothing when it comes to VPNs. Most users in Ireland and the UK use a VPN for the exact reason – to bypass censorship and blocks.

2. Government Surveillance in Ireland

It is no surprise that most US digital services providers collaborate with the National Security Agency (NSA). Even tech giant Microsoft was involved in running surveillance and monitoring programs in collaboration with the government.

The Prism Program gave NSA access to user data on various platforms, including Apple, Google, and Facebook. It allowed officials to collect user information like search history, file transfers, live chats, and the content of emails and messages. As you can tell, this is a clear violation of users’ right to privacy.

Therefore, using a VPN you can be anonymous and carry on your browsing activities without leaving a trace of it online, ensuring these organizations don’t get to keep tabs on you.

3. Geo-restricted Sites & Content

As a local resident of Ireland, you cannot access a huge variety of geo-restricted sites and content. For instance, if you want to watch US Netflix in the country you cannot do so. Similarly, as an ex-pat or if you’re traveling abroad you’ll not be able to access local websites of Ireland.

Both issues can be resolved by using a VPN. Simply change your IP address by connecting to a country’s servers of which geo-restrictions you’d like to bypass and you’ll be good to go.

6 Best VPNs For Ireland for Australian users (2023 In-Depth Analysis)

We have tested over 45+ VPNs to bring you the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users in 2023. These VPNs have been tested on various performance criteria like security, speed, geo-blocking, money-back guarantee, device compatibility, and more. Let’s discuss them in detail.

1. ExpressVPN – The Best VPN for Ireland for Australian users

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users as it offers the fastest speeds, a strong set of security features, and reliable servers. It has 3000+ servers and has a presence in 94 countries with 1 server location in Ireland. Because of having servers in so many countries, it holds strong unblocking capabilities. Making it the best VPN for streaming geo-restricted movies.

ExpressVPN offers a reliable Irish server network.

ExpressVPN Ireland servers can unblock local websites and TV channels like Virgin Media One, TG4, and more, you know which server to connect to. In fact, ExpressVPN’s proved itself to be the best VPN for RTE Player as evident right below. We unblocked RTE Player using ExpressVPN’s Ireland servers:

ExpressVPN unblocked RTE Player for us in the US within seconds.

With ExpressVPN, you can also watch American Netflix in Ireland, along with other platforms like Hulu, HBO, CW, DC Universe, and more. It is one of the few providers that still work with all the major streaming platforms. It also comes with a free MediaStreamer feature that gives you access to geo-blocked content without encrypting your traffic, thus offering fast speed for the best streaming.

With this feature, you can enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows on big screens, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, other Smart TVs, and gaming consoles.

Based on our ExpressVPN speed tests, we received a download speed of 89.42 Mbps and an upload speed of 84.64 Mbps on our 100 Mbps internet connection.

ExpressVPN servers delivered speeds worthy of smooth streaming.

ExpressVPN does not keep any user logs and is headquartered in the safe jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands. It also features one of the strongest encryption AES-256-bit with a kill switch and RAM-based servers that do not store any user data. Owing to its TrustedServer technology, all data is wiped off on every reboot.

It also offers IP and DNS leak protection. We decided to run leak tests by connecting to ExpressVPN’s Albania server and it showed no leaks.

ExpressVPN servers ensured our actual IP address remains out of sight for people to keep an eye on our online activities.

ExpressVPN supports all major devices, including macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and even Linux. We had no issues setting up ExpressVPN on Roku, Android TV, Smart TV, router, and gaming consoles.

It is also available as an extension for many different browser extensions, including Chrome, Firefox, and even Brave, thus easily making it the best VPN for Brave Browser. It starts at a price of AU$ 9.98/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) (Get 49% Off + 3 Months FREE on its 12-Month Plan) with a 30-day money-back guarantee and allows 5 device connections simultaneously. Feel free to try ExpressVPN’s free trial to test this VPN first-hand.

Have a look at our ExpressVPN review for more information.

2. Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN for Ireland

Surfshark is the cheapest VPN Ireland, available for just AU$ 3.44/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) (Get 84% + 2 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan). Don’t let the price fool you as this pocket VPN comes packed with all the latest security features with great unblocking. It has 3200+ servers and availability in 100 countries. That’s a lot for a provider that is available at a low price.

Surfshark’s Ireland servers provide fast-speed connectivity.

It has 1 server location in Ireland that is fast and helps you mask your IP address and access local content. With Surfshark, you can live stream local Irish TV channels or RTÉ One, TV3, RTÉjr., and TG4 from abroad. Surfshark also works with popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Kayo, and more in Ireland. You can easily watch HBO Max in Ireland with Surfshark.

Here you can see how we’ve unblocked Hulu in Ireland using Surfshark’s Detroit servers to stream Normal People:

Neither buffers nor lags, our streaming with Surfshark – Detroit server went pretty great!

On our Surfshark speed test, we recorded a download speed of 81.32 Mbps and an upload speed of 76.12 Mbps on our 100 Mbps internet connection.

Surfshark servers were able to bypass geo-restrictions within seconds.

Since it is based in the safe jurisdiction of the Netherlands, there’s no question of storing your online data. The company doesn’t keep your traffic logs making it a secure option for Ireland in 2023. Some other notable features include CleanWeb (adblocker), MultiHop, split tunneling, and the NoBorder feature.

For boosting your online privacy, the VPN also offers IP and DNS leak protection that we also confirmed by running IP leak tests after connecting to its US server.

Surfshark servers cleverly hid our IP and DNS information.

Another feature of Surfshark that strikes us the most is that you can connect it with unlimited devices with a single Surfshark account. That’s why it is the best VPN for multiple devices. It is compatible with macOS, Android, iOS, Windows, and other major operating systems. We faced no issues while setting up Surfshark on Apple TV and multiple other devices easily.

Overall, Surfshark is a great option for Ireland with affordable plans and amazing off-the-shelf security, and unblocking features. You can get your hands on Surfshark’s free trial to try its features on iOS and Android phones.

You can read our Surfshark review for more information.

3. NordVPN – Large Server Network VPN for Ireland

NordVPN has a large server network VPN for Ireland, with fool-proof security and advanced features. It has a total of 5500+ servers in 60 countries, including 50+ servers in Ireland.

NordVPN offers 50+ servers in Ireland.

NordVPN gives you the freedom to mask your IP address in Ireland and unblock any content and website like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu in Ireland, and countless others. You can also access local Irish TV channels abroad using NordVPN’s Irish servers. While traveling, we were able to unblock Virgin Media TV using NordVPN’s Ireland servers:

We had no issues catching up on our favorite reality shows on Virgin Media TV using NordVPN servers.

We also conducted a NordVPN speed test. We recorded an average speed of 83.82 Mbps and an upload speed of 44.64 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

We experienced only a 17% drop in its servers.

Headquartered in Panama, a safe jurisdiction, NordVPN gives many reasons to consider it the best secure VPN for Ireland. For one, NordVPN keeps no logs. It also offers powerful features like a kill switch, dedicated IP, split tunneling, and much more. It also offers CyberSec (adblocker) and obfuscated servers that make your VPN traffic look like normal HTTP traffic to bypass geo-blocks and firewalls.

NordVPN offers the best security with IP and DNS leak protection. We conducted the leak tests by connecting to its UK server and it did not leak any IP or DNS and showed the server we were connected to at the time of testing.

NordVPN successfully passed our IP & DNS leaks test.

You can stream on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and others. We were able to successfully set up NordVPN on Roku, FireStick, and other devices easily. Best of all, it gives you the freedom to use one account on 6 devices simultaneously.

With all the amazing features that it offers, NordVPN costs only AU$ 5.97/mo (US$ 3.99/mo) (Get 57% Off + 3 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan). You can also cancel NordVPN and claim a full refund within the first 30 days of subscription. You can also avail of this service as a NordVPN free trial.

Read our NordVPN review for more information.

4. IPVanish — One of the Fastest VPNs for Ireland

IPVanish is one of the fastest VPNs in the industry for Ireland. On a base connection of 100 Mbps, IPVanish offered a speed of 85 Mbps. IPVanish has an international presence with servers in all the major countries across the world. With over 2000+ servers in over 75+ countries, IPVanish can unblock pretty much anything in and outside Ireland.

IPVanish Ireland servers are pretty reliable.

In Ireland alone, it has 14 servers physically located in Dublin. Not many providers offer a significant number of servers. This helps in unblocking Irish websites and other local content without a problem. With IPVanish, you can watch US Netflix with IPVanish, Hulu, HBO Max, and YouTube TV in Ireland.

Here you can see how we’ve unblocked the Disney+ UK content library using IPVanish’s London, UK servers:

We were easily able to stream our favorite Disney+ UK content in Ireland.

On our IPVanish speed tests, we received phenomenal speeds. Overall, we received a download speed of 86.75 Mbps and an upload speed of 73.67 Mbps, and there we no buffering issues.

No significant speed drop was recorded during IPVanish speed testing.

Furthermore, this provider offers a comprehensive list of features like a kill switch, split tunneling, ad-blocker, AES 256-bit encryption, and much more, which are just perfect for protecting your privacy in Ireland.

And since IPVanish follows a strict no-logs policy, the Irish authorities have no way of determining your online activities. So if you’re into torrenting, you’re literally free to do whatever you please. We tested IPVanish for IP leaks and it passed the tests. It showed the IP address of the server we connected to; Canada at the time of testing.

We didn’t face any IP or DNS leaks while using IPVanish.

You can use IPVanish on most operating systems like iOS, Android, macOS, and others. You can set up IPVanish on FireStick, gaming consoles, and other devices easily. Also, IPVanish allows unlimited device connections at the same time on a single account.

IPVanish is a good VPN and its massive arsenal of features only costs AU$4.98/mo (US$ 3.33/mo) and is covered by a full 30-day refund policy. Get your hands on IPVanish’s free trial to test its features on iOS and Android phones.

Read our IPVanish review for more information.

5. CyberGhost — User-Friendly VPN for Ireland

CyberGhost is the most easy-to-use VPN offering user-friendly apps for all devices including Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, and Linux. CyberGhost apps are easy to navigate, making them a perfect choice for beginners in Ireland. Based on our experience, we faced no issues installing CyberGhost on Roku, FireStick, and multiple other devices.

Overall the VPN has 9700+ servers available in 91 countries which are impressive, to say the least.

CyberGhost’s Ireland servers help you unblock any local websites abroad easily.

With 88 servers available in Ireland alone, you can stream geo-restricted sites and access Irish local content abroad. CyberGhost offers optimized servers for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and security. It’s capable of unblocking streaming services such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu making it the best Ireland VPN.

Apart from international content, you can also access Irish TV channels from abroad, including RTÉ One, RTÉ News Now, UTV Ireland, and RTÉ Digital Aertel. Here you can see how we’ve unblocked Hayu Ireland using CyberGhost’s Irish servers:

Using CyberGhost servers, we didn’t miss out on any of our favorite shows while traveling.

According to our CyberGhost speed tests, the VPN performed well. We received a download speed of 75.47 Mbps and an upload speed of 69.34 Mbps on our 100 Mbps internet connection.

Enjoy decent streaming speed using CyberGhost servers.

If we talk about security, CyberGhost supports protocols including L2TP, IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard. For maximum security, 256-bit encryption is used in combination with the 4096-bit RSA key and SHA256 authentication. It also offers IP and DNS leak protection. We ran leak tests by connecting to its Japanese servers, and it masked our real IP, leaking no information.

CyberGhost servers didn’t detect our actual IP address.

You can use CyberGhost with 7 different devices at the same time. It doesn’t keep logs, and its host country, i.e., Romania, does not have data retention laws. CyberGhost is also one of the cheapest VPNs on the list, coming at AU$ 3.16/mo (US$ 2.11/mo) , and offers a 45-day money-back guarantee too.

Read more about this VPN service in our CyberGhost review.

6. Private Internet Access — Best VPN for Torrenting in Ireland

Private Internet Access (PIA) is the best VPN for torrenting in Ireland. It offers 35000+ P2P optimized servers in 84 countries, including 106 servers in Ireland. All PIA servers are optimized for P2P making it a great choice for torrent lovers in Ireland. It also offers fast-speed connections, which are best for downloading large files.

Private Internet Access offers 106 servers in Ireland.

With PIA’s international servers, you can access geo-blocked sites like HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu in Ireland. With PIA’s American servers, you can also get access to Netflix US in Ireland and access one of the biggest Netflix libraries in the world. Similarly, with PIA’s Ireland servers, you can access local websites and TV channels like RTE, Virgin Media, and more abroad.

Here you can see how we’ve unblocked TG4 using PIA’s Irish servers:

Using PIA servers to unblock TG4 was a piece of cake!

On our PIA speed tests, the servers provided us with a download speed of 65.78 Mbps and an upload speed of 57.16 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

PIA servers provided adequate speeds for streaming and browsing.

PIA is super secure when it comes to privacy and works exceptionally well for both torrenting in Ireland and streaming shows on restricted VoD services. PIA offers powerful features like an automatic Kill switch, dedicated IP, port forwarding, and split tunneling. It also offers a cool feature called MACE, that blocks ads and protects against malicious websites on the internet.

What makes PIA great for torrenting is its SOCKS5 proxy and IP/ DNS leak protection. We ran an IP leak test by connecting to its US server and found no data leaks throughout the session.

PIA servers didn’t leak our IP or DNS information.

PIA also supports most platforms, including macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. We were able to easily set up PIA on FireStick, Kodi, Roku, and multiple other devices.

While all the amazing features, this VPN Ireland modestly costs AU$ 3.16/mo (US$ 2.11/mo) . PIA also offers a legitimate 30-day refund policy and allows 10 devices to connect simultaneously. Get PIA’s free trial to test the features it has to offer on iOS and Android devices.

Read our PIA review for more information.

Methodology: How to choose best VPN for Ireland for Australian users in 2023

These 6 VPN services mentioned above are all premium VPN providers in the industry with high-end features. Here are some of the important factors to consider when choosing the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users:

• Servers in Ireland – Ensure the VPN you choose offers a decent number of servers in Ireland. Not only that it should also cater to a wide range of servers across the world in different locations to access international content.
• Unblocking streaming sites – The VPN you pick needs to have strong unblocking capabilities so that you can access the local content from abroad. Also, it should help you bypass international geo-restrictions as well.
• Fast Speed – Make sure the best VPN in Ireland offers fast-speed connections to stream HD content without buffering, download torrents, and play games online without any lags.
• Security and Protocol – The best VPN in Ireland should have 256-bit AES encryption for securing your data. Along with additional security features like a kill switch, and IP leak protection.
• Doesn’t keep logs – A trustworthy Ireland VPN shouldn’t keep any sort of identifiable user logs. The VPNs we’ve recommended all strictly follow their no-logs policy. Hence, you can trust them to keep you anonymous and not sell your data to third parties.
• Allows Torrent/P2P – Many VPNs fail to provide P2P-optimized servers to facilitate torrenting. That’s not the case with the VPNs we’ve recommended. All of them are capable of providing fast speed connectivity and security needed for torrenting.

Quick Comparison Table: Best VPN for Ireland for Australian users in 2023

Here’s a quick comparison of the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users and other options:

VPNs
Rank	1	2	3	4	5	6
Worldwide Servers	3000+ servers in 94 countries	3200+ servers in 100 countries	5500+ servers in 60 countries	2000+ servers in 75+ countries	9700+ servers in 91 countries	35000+ servers in 84 countries
Servers in Ireland	1 server location	1 server location	5 servers	14 servers	88 servers	106 server
Avg. Speed	89.42 Mbps	81.32 Mbps	83.82 Mbps	86.75 Mbps	75.47 Mbps	65.78 Mbps
Multi-Logins	5	Unlimited	6	Unlimited	7	10
Unblocks	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more	HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Hayu, TG4, Virgin Media TV, and more
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers
Best For	Overall Best VPN	Budget-friendly VPN	Largest Sever Network VPN	Fast-speed VPN	User-friendly VPN	Torrenting VPN
Pricing	AU$ 9.98/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) (Get 49% Off + 3 Months FREE on its 12-Month Plan)	AU$ 3.44/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) (Get 84% + 2 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan)	AU$ 5.97/mo (US$ 3.99/mo) (Get 57% Off + 3 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan)	AU$ 4.98/mo (US$ 3.33/mo)	AU$ 3.16/mo (US$ 2.11/mo)	AU$ 3.16/mo (US$ 2.11/mo)

Can Australian users use a Free VPN in Ireland?

Yes, they can use a free VPN in Ireland, but we don’t recommend using one, and there are several reasons behind it. First, free VPNs offer a few highly crowded servers, thus providing very slow connection speeds – leading to constant connection drops, low-resolution video, and extensive buffering.

Second, most free VPNs are blocked by major streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. Therefore, with a free VPN Ireland, you won’t access international content in Ireland. On the other hand, if you use a premium VPN you can surf the internet using its unlimited bandwidth to watch TV shows and movies, play games and so much more, and all the while your traffic will be encrypted.

Furthermore, free VPNs are not safe as around 40% of the free VPNs sell user data and personal information to third-party advertisers. This is in complete violation of the user’s right to privacy. Therefore, investing in a paid premium service will last you for a long time.

However, if you still want to opt for a free VPN Ireland, then we also have some reliable free VPNs for you to use in Ireland.

VPN Guides for Other Countries

Refer to our VPN guides for other countries to explore more:

• Best VPN for Mexico for Australian users
• Best VPN for Turkey for Australian users
• Best VPN for Denmark for Australian users
• Best VPN for Cuba for Australian users
• Best VPN for Taiwan for Australian users
• Best VPN for Indonesia for Australian users
• Best VPN for Thailand for Australian users

FAQs – Best VPN Ireland for Australian users

Wrapping Up

Considering Ireland’s current state, it seems highly unlikely that government surveillance and geo-blocks will end anytime soon. To access the internet in Ireland without restrictions and being monitored all the time, you need to secure yourself with the best VPN for Ireland for Australian users, such as ExpressVPN.

Not only will you be able to keep your identity totally anonymous, but you’ll also be able to download torrents and access streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and others. We hope you found this blog informative. If you’re looking for an all-rounder VPN service, make sure you check out our handpicked best-rated VPNs.