In Circuit Court proceedings, after entering an Appearance the onus is upon the defendant to raise particulars (if applicable) and enter a defence within ten days of entering the Appearance.
Depending on the type of claim, the plaintiff will then probably bring a Motion seeking to have summary judgment entered against you. If you do not have a prima facie defence the Court will enter Judgment against you.
If defending the action is merely a delaying tactic because the claim is well founded, well then it will prove to be an expensive delaying tactic as the longer it drags out the more legal costs the plaintiff will incur and you will ultimately have to pay anyway. If not, and you do have a good defence well then you should do yourself a favour and get yourself a solicitor.