My advice would be to post here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1625

I may well be wrong but I think you will have significant issues insuring a 17 year old with a licence from another jurisdiction.

I don't think this will be cheap, nor will it work out as Bean A has indicated. I think you would be better to plot a trip that avails of public transport.

Where are you starting??

A UK car might be a better option if you are starting and ending over there.. if ending in a different place than starting then you hit the disposal problem..

Insurance is the next problem.. Temporary Insurance in Ireland is like finding sawdust under the tail of a rocking horse.. In the UK it is available, (I use Aviva) but the maximum term is 28days and it is not cheap, especially when you add international cover.. and the fact that each 28 day period would have to start in the UK (or N,Ireland at even more expense)

To be honest its pretty much a non starter, but that's the logistics of the situation. Best bet Public Transport and Tours.

This just will not work, you say you are travelling 'dirt poor', but insurance for a teenager in the UK could well be a thousand pounds, even if you could get it, which you wont without a UK address. A car is not the only way to get around.

I don't think your plan is feasible.

I had a Canadian friend who tried to buy a car in the UK for his frequent visits - three/four visits per year. The insurance companies wouldn't entertain him because he didn't have a UK address. He couldn't just register the insurance c/o my address as they wanted him to prove it was a permanent address by supplying UK bank details. If I remember correctly there was also an issue with him registering the vehicle with the DVLA. (The licensing authority).

Also, insurance for under twenty-five year olds in a fortune in the UK. You also need to factor in the cost of road tax.

Probably better thinking of another plan.

A thousand pounds for 88 days? I was thinking it would be about about two-hundred and fifty pounds. I only wanted to insure it for about two and a half months. I know a car is not the only way to get around but some of the places we wanted to go are not accessible by public transit.

Yes. She drives manual as well as automatic.

I think you need a reality check as the Americans say. You have asked for advice and you got it.

last time I was over that side I insured my UK van for 3 days at a cost of £120+(cheaper to keep it there and tax and insure as needed than 2 ferry crossings).. Temporary insurance is expensive as I said..

Where are the places you need to get off the bus routes? have you friends and family around? there are some places with local community bus's and local taxi's can be a good option.