Rules of the Road
Positioning and priority
Ireland drives on the left, so you keep left except when overtaking, turning right or avoiding an obstruction. Normal overtaking is on the right. You may pass on the left when the vehicle ahead is signalling a right turn, in slow-moving queues where lanes are moving at different speeds, or where lanes are marked for different destinations. At a roundabout you yield to traffic already circulating, which approaches from your right; signal left only as you pass the exit before the one you want.
Speed limits are the most heavily examined set of numbers. The default is 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on regional and local roads, 100 km/h on national roads and 120 km/h on motorways. Special 30 km/h zones apply in some residential areas, and any limit posted on a sign overrides the default.
At traffic lights, amber means stop unless it is unsafe to do so. A flashing amber at a pedestrian crossing means you may proceed only if the crossing is clear.
Learner and novice rules
Before riding on a public road you must complete Initial Basic Training (IBT) and display red L plates front and rear. A learner may ride unaccompanied, but may not carry a pillion passenger and may not use a motorway. Learner and novice riders are subject to a lower legal alcohol limit than experienced drivers.
Traps
Questions routinely swap 100 km/h (national road) with 120 km/h (motorway only), or claim a learner rider must be accompanied by a qualified rider - they need not be. Another favourite is treating a flashing amber crossing light as an automatic go.
Rule of thumb: in the dry, stay at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front - count 'one thousand and one, one thousand and two' as it passes a fixed object.