I will be going to Ireland (Republic of Ireland + Nothern Ireland) in August. The entire duration of the trip is two weeks, with roughly 3 days (2 nights) spent in Northern Ireland.
I'm currently wondering how to pay for my expenses while in Northern Ireland - the hotels will be prepaid, but there's meals, souvenirs... Can I expect credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) to be accepted for small transactions and in small places, or should I try to get my hands on some cash? Bonus: If a place does not accept credit cards, how likely is it that they will accept Euros (I'm aware that the rate will probably be bad).
My card has a lower limit on the amount of cash I need to withdraw in one transaction, so getting just as much cash as I need when I need it is not an option. On the other hand, I always find it hard to estimate how much cash I will need, and want to avoid bringing lots of cash home with me that I have to exchange at a bad rate or spend them on unnecessary items just to get rid of the money.
(The Republic of Ireland is out of scope of this question; since I'm from Germany and both countries use Euros, I don't mind withdrawing the minimal or even a larger amount should I need any cash.)