Breffni, would help to talk to guys in shipping. They have their finger on the pulse.
Any freight forwarder in any of the major cities can help. There are lots of them, in yellow pages.
Eg, you have a pallet size, weight etc, you ring them, they will give you freight costs.Insurance cost, clearance cost here for customs.They will charge you the vat. You will have to tell them exactly what it is that you are importing, they have quick reference table, they can tell you what your duty will be.
You will have to absorb the vat yourself unless of course you are registered for vat.
Beware though that alot of freight companies will quote you FOB, its important to know who delivers the goods to the port ( The cost) what the shipping cost is, and what the delivery will cost to your address here in Ireland. DONT take anything for granted, or the profit margin will go down with a roar. Take care.