Mike from Colorado, who asked about public holidays in Ireland, had another good question, that Americans moving to Ireland might particularly be interested in. In the States mail-order pharmacies are big business, and a very common, and cost-effective, way for people to receive their medication. He asked:

Is there a service for ordering prescription medications in Ireland?

Unfortunately Mike, the answer is no. At least for now. Irish law prevents the online ordering of medication. You have to go to a pharmacy with your written prescription. From what I've read on various news media sites there is a concern related to counterfeit drugs, which the regulators can't seem to look passed.

On a related topic, there are online services in Ireland which allow you to receive a paper prescription from a doctor here, without the need for a face-to-face consultation. Without having personal knowledge of the system, it does seem to be far more cost-effective than what a visit to a local GP would cost. However, all illnesses can't be assessed virtually, so a doctor's visit may be necessary depending on the condition.

References:
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland: http://www.thepsi.ie
Online Irish doctor services:
- http://www.webdoctor.ie
- http://www.lloydsonlinedoctor.ie

Disclaimer: I think it's important for me to point out here, that the services at the URLs above are completely unrelated to The Ireland Move Club. I take no responsibility for their service, information on their websites, or for any interactions you may have with them.

Image credit: Flickr/infomatique