Using ATM's in the Republic of Ireland - - not going to the North.

The secret trick:

Use the first one you come to.

Use a different ATM card that won't charge you $5/per use and 3% foreign transaction fee. Credit unions have the best rates. Mine charges absolutely nothing to use my ATM card abroad. My online bank only charges 1%, so that is my backup account. BofA has the worst fees of anyone for using their card abroad. They are also the only ones I have heard of who have, or need, "partner banks". Since no one else charges those kinds of fees, any other card option will be cheaper, anyway. European bank ATMs do not charge fees for their use. The fees you are charged are from BofA alone.

Cris,

As Ed so succinctly pointed out, use whatever ATM's you can find, regardless of whether they're a Bank of America partner. If you don't like the rates that B of A charges for foreign transactions, start an account with a different financial institution that has more favourable rates.

I see that TD Bank has branches in the Boston area, so I'll put in another of my plugs for them (I have no connection to them except as a satisfied customer). If you have their basic checking account with a $100 minimum, they charge $3 per foreign withdrawal with no percentage transaction fee. If you have a fancier checking account with a $2500 minimum, there are no fees for foreign withdrawals. You can walk in, open an account, and get an ATM card right away (no waiting to have it mailed like with some other banks). So, even if you don't want to change banks, you can open the basic account and put money in it for your travels, then take out all but the minimum balance when you're not traveling.

And Nancy, alas it's not just Band of America with those high fees. Chase, where I also have an account, has the same fees ($5 plus 3% for foreign withdrawals), and doesn't have any "partner banks" to avoid the $5 fee. Now you know why I stick to my TD card for ATM withdrawals in Europe [g].

Thanks everyone, most kindly. Keep on travelin'.