info on carrying a gun into northern ireland

steyrprohunter

Im heading to Donegal shortly on a deer stalking trip and want to keep the journey reasonably short by sticking to the shortest route and heading into Omagh and from there to Letterkenny. Can I travel with my gun legally through the North or is it too risky? Alternative route is through Sligo but its 2 hours onto journey

lee70

steyrprohunter wrote: »

Im heading to Donegal shortly on a deer stalking trip and want to keep the journey reasonably short by sticking to the shortest route and heading into Omagh and from there to Letterkenny. Can I travel with my gun legally through the North or is it too risky? Alternative route is through Sligo but its 2 hours onto journey

Probably the best thing to do there is to ring the peelers in Omagh or HQ in Belfast.

Cass

steyrprohunter wrote: »

Can I travel with my gun legally through the North or is it too risky?

Legally - only if you have a visitors permit from the PSNI. Legally if you don't have this then you are bringing firearm into the
North without authorisation, ie illegal.

Either travel the longer route or apply for a visitors permit. Will allow you to travel freely. Specifics i'm not too sure of so contact the PSNI, talk to them, explain your situation and ask thier opinion as to how to proceed.

One piece of advice. Even if told "you'll be grand, go for it without the paperwork" i wouldn't. The lad/lady on the phone is not the one that will be stopping you on the road.;)

garveyjg

Pretty much as Eridax has said, you need a visitors permit. I done it once , but the shoot we were on sponsored us our appliction to the PSNI for the permit, the application also had to be accompanied with a current European Firearms Pass and fire arms cert for the the firearm you intend to use or transit through with. As I recall it seemed pretty easy to do, in saying that the shoot organised it for us.

Here's a link explaining it much better.

http://www.caireland.org/Forms_and_downloads/Forms_to_download/Visiting_Northern_Ireland_with_Firearms/

steyrprohunter

Thanks lads, I figured as much. The visitore permit application needs to be in 6 weeks prior to travelling so Im going to have to travel the longer route!!! Pity but hopefully a big red stag will ease the tiring drive:D

yog1

i thought if you were only traveling through like you are, the euro pass was ok, you only need the visitor permit if you planned on shooting on that country,
could well be worth a phone call and if it is the case maybe a reply in writing with the firearm's officer name on it explaining what the law is in the case you are stop'd, you could contact the firearms branch in belfast if you like as they might have a better idea and could give you an answer there and then

Cass

yog1 wrote: »

i thought if you were only traveling through like you are, the euro pass was ok, you only need the visitor permit if you planned on shooting on that country,

If you intend to possess a firearm at all in Northern Ireland you mut have a visitor permit. There are no exceptions for the length of the stay, traveling through, etc. From the PSNI website under European Firearms Pass:

PSNI Website wrote:

To travel to NI you still need to get a Northern Ireland Visitor’s Firearm Permit.

yog1 wrote:

could well be worth a phone call

If you fancy ringing and trying here is some contact details for ya.

PSNI Website wrote:

You can contact the Firearms and Explosives Branch by email: firearms@psni.pnn.police.uk or call your local police station on 0845 600 8000 for more information

Glensman

Ezridax wrote: »

If you fancy ringing and trying here is some contact details for ya.

A local cop is likely to put you through to the local firearms officer- who generally wont know the law.

You would have to speak to Lisnasharragh, who wont answer the phone...

Half-cocked

We used to get a letter authorizing us to travel through, but not use our firearms in, NI. In the last 5 years the PSNI now insist on a NI visitors permit, no exceptions. And a UK visitors permit does not cover NI. If you are caught without a NI permit, expect at the very least to be sent straight back over the border, but more likely have your gun confiscated and possible prosecution. Any NI visitors licenses I have got have been for a full year, so I haven't needed to apply every time I head North.

freddieot

Not worth the risk involved. NI is very much a strictly follow the rules sort of place when it comes to shooting related.

You'd get the permit without any problem at all (I've had several over the years).

Take the long way round, they'd also take it off you without any problem at all.

demonloop

Bit of a catch 22, as you need a sponsor for the visitors permit, but as you're not going shooting, or going to a club in NI, it might not be possible to get a sponsor.

Firearms licensing are now much better at answering the phone (don't email though, they won't answer emails) so it might be worth a quick call, they could fax you through a letter to cover you. I wouldn't cut through NI without the correct piece of paper though, not worth it.

323

Really very little differance these days going by Sligo or Omagh, unless you are going to the north of the county.

However, going the opposite direction two years back for a hunting trip abroad, stopped at the local station to pick up my export permit, required at the other end. Was going by sligo, but garda mentioned he would sort going by Omagh, made a call then gave me a phone number and said, any problems phone this number, his counterpart in Omagh it believe.