hi! can someone tell me if i need to get an international driving permit or will my european driving licence be enough to rent a car in toronto?

Assuming your visit will be for less than 3 months, Ontario permits a foreigner to legally drive as long as you have a validly issued license from your country. More than 3 months you'll also need an international DL issued from your country. Importantly, be sure to inform your insurance carrier that you'll be driving a rental car in Canada. In the US most insurance companies issue a temporary Canadian insurance coverage card which you carry with you in Canada in case of an accident.

thank you "stringer" for info--- i will only be in toronto for 6 days!! i think we will only need a car for 3 days.

I found a reference to confirm that an IDP is required after three months, but not for shorter stays.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/visiting.htm
This is a strange thing since an IDP is just a translation of the information on your home licence, which I presume contains English given your Irish e-mail address. If I am reading the MTO site correctly somebody with a licence printed only in a non-roman alphabet (e.g. Korean) is OK without an IDP for a short stay but US, UK Irish licence holders need an IDP after 3 months!

Gavin, I noticed that, too. The language seems awkward and I can't imagine that english-speaking countries need an IDL where non-English countries don't. Also, an IDL is almost a joke. For a few bucks virtually anyone can obtain one. It borders on being a scam. Just plug the term "international drivers license" into an internet search engine and you'll see what I mean.