tourist visa

Have a look at www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie and www.inis.gov.ie.

I don't know whether you will be able to extend the visa, but trying to get around it by going into Northern Ireland or the UK is probably quite a bad idea. There are border checks on the Republic of Ireland side of the border and they take this sort of thing quite seriously. I would get seriously professional advice before trying anything like that.

Your best option may be to simply fly back to the US within the 90 days, even if that's not what you really want to do, because it's still better than getting an ugly mark in your passport that might prevent you coming back to Ireland for a long time.

From the www.inis.gov.ie website:

"If the 'Type of Visa' is 'C', this means the MAXIMUM duration that you will be permitted to remain in the State, is 90 DAYS.

ONCE THIS TIME HAS EXPIRED YOU MUST LEAVE THE STATE -YOUR PERMISSION TO REMAIN CANNOT BE EXTENDED"

I'm not actually on any type of visa. I'm just here as a tourist. Does that make any difference? I was thinking I could visit London or Paris and then re-enter Ireland. Any thoughts?

I'm no expert, but I have a strong feeling that it might not work - in other words the immigration officers might see it as a way of getting around the 90-day limit (as in fact it would be).

I think if this is a really serious issue for you then you should get real professional advice e.g. from an immigration advisory group or a lawyer with experience in immigration matters; and if it's not quite that serious then you should probably just head back before you overstay the legal period, which could cause difficulties for you getting to Ireland again. Either way if you want to stay longer in Ireland you may need to go back to the US and apply for a longer visa e.g. a working holiday visa if you are eligible from there. It's unfortunate that these things are so complicated but they are.

You could also try the Citizens Information Service
http://www.citizensinformationboard.ie/services/citizens/citizens_callcentres.html

They should be able either to advise you, or more likely, point you in the direction of somebody who can.

Normally with visas you can stay for up to 90 days within a given period and then you must leave and not return for another 90 days. I can't be bothered right now to find the supporting evidence in the above websites but it will almost certainly be there - I'd put money on it.

You won't be able to trick immigration or find any legal loop holes - you're just going to have to go home. Beware, if immigration think you are at risk of overstaying your visa period or think for any reason you may try to work illegally because you do not have sufficient funds to support yourself they can refuse you entry to the country and send you straight home.

There are NO border checkpoints between Republic and Northern Ireland, it is like driving along a road and suddenly the road markings change colour. Therefore no point trying that one.

I would have a guess that moving to any other EU (Schengen)states would not be of any benefit as you would remain within the "borderless" European Economic Area.

Just stay, sure you are enjoying yourself :-)

<<< I would have a guess that moving to any other EU (Schengen)states would not be of any benefit as you would remain within the "borderless" European Economic Area. >>>

You guess wrong as the EU / Schengen and EEA are different things.so that there are borders between UK & Ireland and Schengen countries like France - even though all are members of the EU, though there aren't borders between a non-EU country like Norway and France .

In OP's case they could go to France and hope that on return they'd be allowed back into Ireland.

As I said I'm not an expert on the inticacies of the EU/EEA etc but I would be pretty sure that a US citizen leaving Ireland to nip across to, say France, then returning to Ireland would NOT get a new 90 day period of stay.

Most European borders are in name only and not the frosty frontiers of years gone by :-)

In fact many non-EU citizens on thorn tree have said you get a 90 day period for "Europe" (again not exactly sure if that is EU/EEA/Shengen)