There are no snakes (or mosquitoes!!) in Ireland --- can you start to see why so many of us think of Ireland as Paradise? (giggle giggle)

I rarely saw a dog without an owner and never saw a wild, vicious one.

Deborah,

There are no stupid questions here. Instead it is a place to get educated about Ireland. You already have a couple of nice answers. No snakes at all in Ireland (except maybe the zoo). The dogs are generally well-behaved and many have jobs (sheepdogs). Ireland is a critter gentle place with sheep, cattle, birds, rabbits and deer in certain areas. You will have fun for your hiking.

Michele

My most common dog sightings in Ireland have been in very rural areas...the dog(s) come rushing out of a farmyard to nip at the tires of the car and then rush back to the farmyard. Most main trails won't have any dogs around, however if you're on a major hike between towns, you might find yourself crossing a farmers field where you might come in contact with a dog (or cows or sheep). Carrying a walking stick could provide you with a bit of confidence in those situations. Sheep dogs are the most common in Ireland, and unless they have something to herd, they're pretty calm.

Otherwise, you might see a really old, decrepid dog sitting outside a petrol station or on the main street in some little village, but trust me you'd be able to outwalk the creature before it got within sniffing distance. 

I did have a little run in with a dog in Ireland once. I was cycling outside a village and had one of those "tire nippers" come rushing out. I tried to ignore him, but he decided to take a nip at my leg. He barely broke the skin, but I figured I should stop at the local hospital because I didn't know if there was some kind of protocol for such a thing. I was a bit embarrassed (I could hardly find the wound), but I went in any way. The doctor looked me over, told me I had nothing to worry about.

When it came time to pay for the doctor's visit, the doctor asked, "Are you familiar with the Irish medical system?" I told him I was not. "Are you familiar with Irish money?" I told him I was. He said, "Well, this visit will cost 500 pounds." Just as my face turned grey, he let me know he was teasing. There was no charge...socialized medicine.

I've been to Ireland just about every year since 1996 and that's the only time anything like that has happened, so I'd say you have very little to worry about. In the summer the biting midges (no-see-ums) can be very annoying just before the sun goes down, but otherwise there aren't many nuisance critters. And it's true there are NO SNAKES in Ireland.