Hi there,
Give customs (Revenue Commissioners) in Nenagh a quick call, ask for the tariff classification section, tell them you are looking for a rate of duty for whatever it is you want to import.
Then to calculate what you'll owe you just work out the % on the actual value of the goods PLUS the value of the shipping (you gotta pay duty on this too..)
Then you have the 21% VAT also.
Customs clearance with a broker - you'll get a number in the phone book for a local freight forwarder will cost you anything from Eur 45.00 to Eur 75.00 and they will look for cash up front or on delivery from you - they will collect the duty / vat from you and pay to customs. It's a good idea to supply the forwarder with the tariff code & rate of duty customs give you. Every single item has a different code so it's easy to mix them up an you might end up paying out more or less.
Also - if poss best to get the supplier to pay the freight chg and just bill you on that way if item gets damaged or lost it's their liability.
Watch out for terms of shipment.
When you get the item delivered inspect fully - you have NO comeback if you just sign for the goods as received.
Hope this helps - Good luck!