WOW! Thanks everyone for your information; it looks like we have more important things to worry about right now than lodging. When we come to visit, May 2019, I will be 65 and on U.S. medicare insurance with a supplement and my
husband will be 63 and on private insurance; we both will be
retired. I will get him working on that Irish passport and also have him contact the Irish Embassy to check and see exactly what type of Visas we will need. I really appreciate all you help.

Now - Kenmare, Killarney, or Tralee as our base for this
6 month stay? Tony2phones let me know your local advise!

My local advice for Kerry is a little old its 30+ years since I lived/worked down there for a while. If Chris had got a Job at Tralee Hospital we were going to live in Listowel or Killorglin. Castleisland and Farranfore are also worth considering.

In real terms it comes down to what you want to do with your time down there? what season's you are considering?

Who knows you might have a rush of blood and think about staying over here by Lough Derg in the middle of the country ;)

Mom, I don't want to be teaching Granny to suck eggs, but you are aware that Medicare will not cover anything outside the US?

Medicare does not cover anyone outside the US as far I know.

And many private insurance policies don;t either - depending on what type of plan it is. Any sort of HMO is unlikely to cover you in europe and even some PPOs amy not cover you (you wold have to investigate).

In any case you would have to pay bills up front and then recoup what you can from your insurance plan - but the MD or hospital might also have to use US coding in order for coverage to take place.

nytraveler and jaja; Yes I did know that US Medicare will not cover me outside the U.S. We will be checking into whether any supplement will or not. Thanks for the concern/advice.

LUckily, Medigap plans are standardized so plan A covers the same things everywhere. Plans C through G cover foreign travel, see this chart https://www.medicare.gov/supplement-...e-medigap.html

Medicare covers outside the US in very rare situation, which would not cover Europe (eg, they would in Canada if the hospital were the closest to you in an emergency and on cruise ships within some distance to a US port).