Two different products
Calling home means minutes to a mobile abroad, often to a parent who is not on WhatsApp. That is Lycamobile on Eir radio: 28-day, eSIM, country bundles. Unlimited Plus lists unlimited calls to 35 countries. Data on that plan is 100 GB at 5G, then 256 kbps.
Irish unlimited means 48, Clear or GoMo at €12.99. Those SIMs are for the bus and the hotspot. They are a poor way to ring Nigeria. Coverage still follows the mast. Lycamobile and GoMo are both Eir now, so that pair is a same-masts choice: international minutes versus cheap Irish unlimited. If Eir is dead in the kitchen, neither will save the call.
Direct pairwise: Lycamobile vs GoMo. Host map: MVNO explained.
Plans that actually include international minutes, August 2026
This is a shortlist of the rows that are built for calls abroad. It is not 15 Lycamobile URLs. Full Lycamobile table: Lycamobile review.
| Retailer | Plan | From | Irish data | Why it is here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lycamobile | Asia Plus | €10 | 3 GB | 500 mins national and international. Built for calls to Asia, not Irish Netflix. |
| Lycamobile | Europe Plus | €10 | 5 GB | 300 mins national and international. The Poland / Romania style bundle. |
| Lycamobile | Unlimited Plus | €10 | 100 GB | Unlimited calls to 35 countries. Data is 100 GB then 256 kbps. Do not buy it as Irish unlimited. |
| Lycamobile | Nigeria Plan | €12 | 3 GB | 60 mins to Nigeria. Tiny data. Honest about the job. |
| Lycamobile | Asia Extra | €20 | 3 GB | 1,000 mins national and international at €20. When the €10 bundle runs out. |
| Tesco Mobile | €20 5G Clubcard SIM | €15 | Unlimited | 300 international minutes on an Irish 5G SIM, if Clubcard is already in the trolley. |
| Tesco Mobile | €15 Elevate SIM | €15 | Unlimited | 400 international minutes in the intro, then typically €30. Do not take this for the minutes. |
| Three | Three SIM Freedom 24m | €14 | Unlimited | 100 international minutes, then €28. 48 is the cheap Three radio without those mins. |
| Eir Mobile | Complete Plan | €24.99 | Unlimited | 200 international minutes and texts, then €34.99. GoMo has none of this. |
| Vodafone | Ultra SIM Only | €35 | Unlimited | The expensive pack: unlimited calls to home, Europe, Australia, USA and more, at €35. |
Who to skip for this job
- 48, Clear, GoMo. Cheap Irish unlimited. Wrong product.
- Lycamobile data-only. No calls. Tablet SIM.
- An Post. Post-office top-up, 4G, Irish minutes. Not a country bundle.
- Elevate for the 400 minutes. You are buying a €30 thereafter. 48 is the cheap Three radio if you wanted Irish unlimited instead.
How to choose
- If the week is calls to a named country, start at Lycamobile. Match the bundle to the country, not the "unlimited" tile.
- If you already shop Tesco and need a few international minutes on an Irish 5G SIM, the Clubcard SIM is the bolt-on. Still skip Elevate.
- If you want mothership international plus huge EU roaming, Vodafone Ultra is €35. That is a specialist bill, not a value default.
Need cheap Irish data after the call home is sorted? 48 vs GoMo vs Clear. Switch: how to switch mobile.
