Irish brokers charge very high commissions, offer poor service and don't add much value. My advice would be to avoid them if you can. I opened an account with Keytrade in Belgium; their fees are very low and they are very good to deal with. They give you access to the European and US markets directly. They are owned by a large French bank called Credit Agricole. It's very easy to open an account with them.
Some people are dealing through National Irish Bank as well (owned by Danske Bank). They give you direct access to the stock market as well. Don't have any personal experience with them.
Hope this helps...