Hi Nicola,

That should be possible, though not easy without a little planning. If you're talking about a new car it could be really tricky unless you order the car well ahead of time and you are guaranteed that it will be registered and waiting for you on your arrival. Even so, I'd suggest it's not a good idea to try to do that.

For a used car, one that is already registered in Ireland, it should be simpler, though to do so would require you potentially deciding on a car before you see it in the metal or even test drive it. 

Assuming you are happy to do that, then you will have the registration number and details of the car to arrange insurance with. You should be able to do that ahead of time, assuming you have a permanent Irish address for the paperwork. 

To ensure things run smoothly, make sure the seller includes an updated NCT for the car and that the motor tax is up to date.