How to Watch My5 in Ireland: 2 Quick Methods

Recently moved to Ireland and noticed that you lost access to My5. My5, the streaming service of Channel 5, is geo-blocked in Ireland. This is a problem for a lot of British expats and Irish fans of My5’s programs. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered with 2 distinct methods you can use to unblock My5 in Ireland.

How to Watch My5 in Ireland: 2 Quick Methods

How to Watch My5 in Ireland: 2 Quick Methods

Can You Access My5 in Ireland?

No, sadly My5 (Channel5) is only available in Britain. Residents of the Republic of Ireland don’t have access to the channel’s service.

This is simply due to copyright laws and has nothing to do with whether the channel itself wants to offer its services internationally or not. In order to appease international copyright laws, websites will usually impose an IP-ban for any non-British IP address asking to connect to the site.

Don’t worry, though. There are two ways you can bypass those bans and still watch My5 in Ireland.

Watch My5 in Ireland with a VPN

The first method is to use a cybersecurity tool called a VPN.

Short for virtual private network, a VPN will encrypt your data and re-route your traffic through its own secure servers. This means that it’ll tunnel your traffic in a way where no one will be able to get your information or spy on your internet connection.

However, when your traffic is re-routed, your public IP address ends up changing too. Depending on the server you’ve chosen to connect to, you’ll be able to spoof your IP and gain access to geo-blocked content.

Here’s how to use a VPN to gain access to My5 in Ireland:

  1. Sign up with a credible and trusted VPN provider.
  2. Download and install the VPN app that works on your streaming device. You’ll usually find apps for Windows, iOS, MacOS, and Android devices.
  3. Launch the app and connect to a UK VPN server.
  4. Wait for the connection to establish.
  5. Head on over to Channel5’s site and enjoy!

There you have it. The only major thing you have to do is select your VPN provider. We’ve got you covered on that one too:

Best VPN for Ireland

Our expert, Charles, has already done the research and written a detailed review of the top VPNs you should be using in Ireland. To make things simpler, here’s his top choice:

Charles found that ExpressVPN is the best VPN service provider to use in Ireland. That’s because this provider offers one of the most robust and well-rounded services in the market. It also boasts the best customer support team in the industry, which is important in the VPN world. Not to mention that you get access to a multitude of servers, all of which are optimized for speed and DDoS protection. Their 30-day money-back guarantee lets you try it out for up to a month before you make any real commitment.

In case you’re not fond of ExpressVPN, there are other VPN providers you can use in Ireland:

Watch My5 in Ireland with Smart DNS

Here’s the thing about VPNs: they slow down your internet. Re-routing your traffic ends up draining some of your internet speed, and not all users have a connection that can handle that. If you don’t want to deal with that issue or don’t really care for the added security of a VPN, you can use a Smart DNS proxy instead.

Just like a VPN, a Smart DNS proxy is a service you can subscribe to. Unlike a VPN, this service is specific to unblocking geo-restricted channels. Each service will have its own list of channels it can unblock, which means that you do have to limit your cord-cutting to your Smart DNS’s capabilities. Here are some of the major differences between a VPN and a Smart DNS:

  • Smart DNS proxies do not spoof your IP.
  • They do not encrypt your data or re-route all of your traffic, meaning that a Smart DNS is not a security-oriented tool.
  • A Smart DNS proxy will not work if your ISP uses transparent proxies or applies DNS hijacking. You can sometimes figure out if you’re subject to a transparent proxy, but a failed Smart DNS is usually the most indicative measure.
  • Smart DNS proxies do require a little bit of configuration. There are no apps you can download, you have to go through a tech-based process to get it set up. The good news is that most services offer detailed guides on how to do that, making the service accessible to anyone.

So, now that you know the difference between both methods, let’s move on to talking about the service you should use in Ireland.

Best Smart DNS for Ireland

Our experts suggest using Unlocator as your Smart DNS provider in Ireland. This provider offers a fantastic list of unblocked channels, which include Channel5 (My5). They also have some of the most straightforward guides in the industry and offer a 7-day free trial period without requiring a credit card to activate it. After the trial, you can still benefit from a 14-day refund period, which means that you can make sure Unlocator works for you before you commit to it.

Watch Channel5 Online In Ireland – Final Thoughts

There you have it, ladies and gents, two distinct methods you can use to unblock My5 in Ireland. Remember, that both these tools can unblock the geo-restrictions the channel imposes only. That means that they won’t bypass any kind of subscription fee or registration process the channel imposes.