ETA required if driving through Northern Ireland? (Dublin to Donegal)

We are Australian passport holders and had planned to drive along the route that goes from Dublin to Donegal through Northern Ireland. I doubt that we will be in Northern Ireland for more than 1 hour. Would we have to get an ETA for the UK to do this?
Thanks.

Hi Stephen,

It's good to hear that you're planning a trip to Ireland.

Yes, you would need to apply for an ETA if you are planning to drive through Northern Ireland, even if it's just for a brief amount of time. You can learn more about the ETA and how to apply on this dedicated Electronic Travel Authorisation page.

Another option would be to take an alternative route, where you stay in the Republic of Ireland, given that County Donegal will be your destination anyway. The Transport for Ireland website can help with that.

Regards,
Eoin

While it's pretty unlikely that your ETA checked during your trip through NI, or that you would be stopped at all, it's probably not worth the risk. If you were to get in an accident or come upon a random UK border control check, it could lead to unnecessary trouble and delays. The ETA is pretty cheap and easy to obtain, but if going to that trouble you should probably take a side trip to see some of the sights of Northern Ireland. For example, driving up to Coleraine and taking the Loch Foyle ferry is a fantastic way to enter Donegal, and leaves you a stone throw from Malin Head, the most northerly point on the island.
Alternatively, you could make a stop in Sligo before entering Donegal from the south, avoiding the need to pass through NI at all.