NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Irish postcodes

Postal addresses in Ireland are similar to those in the rest of the English-speaking world, but there is no national post code system. However, Dublin is divided into postal districts, under a system which was similar to that used in cities elsewhere in Europe until the introduction of postcode systems in the 1960s and '70s. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Street sign in Dublin, displaying name of the street in Irish and English, with postal district number. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

At the time, Ireland did not follow suit, and An Post did not introduce automated sorting machines for mail until the 1990s. By then, the introduction of new technology, known as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), meant that machines could 'read' whole addresses as opposed to just postcodes. Consequently, mail to addresses in the rest of the Republic does not require any digits after the address, eg: A small An Post post box attached to a telephone/electricity pole. ... Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is computer software designed to translate images of handwritten or typewritten text (usually captured by a scanner) into machine-editable text, or to translate pictures of characters into a standard encoding scheme representing them (e. ...

An Post has argued that a nationwide public postcode system is unnecessary, describing it as 'a 1960s solution to a 21st century problem'^{[citation needed]}; that it would be expensive and that its existing system is superior.^[1] Concerns were also expressed by traditionalists that postcodes would undermine the use of historic townland names. (Royal Mail in the UK approached the problem of postcodes in rural Northern Ireland by naming previously unnamed roads after the townlands through which they passed, and assigning numbers to houses. The naming of roads was initially refused by Fermanagh district council, resulting in the unsatisfactory solution of a postcode being assigned to each townland.) However, courier services and direct mail companies complained that the absence of such a system put Ireland at a disadvantage compared to other European countries^[1]. A townland is a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland and Scotland, and believed to be of Gaelic or Goidelic origin. ... Royal Mails logo Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ... Motto: (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister of... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Enniskillen Area: 1,691 kmÂ² Population (est. ...

Those advocating an Irish postcode system point out that many people living in rural (and even some urban) areas currently share the same postal address. This becomes particularly confusing when there are people of the same surname living at different addresses within the same rural townland. This also creates problems for delivery drivers, the emergency services and any visitors unfamilliar to an area trying to locate an address (especially since in such areas it is rare for roads to be named or houses numbered. Indeed it is often difficult when travelling through rural Ireland to know which townland one is in since there are few roadsigns indicting where townlands begin and end !)

In the light of the liberalisation of postal services, and the end of An Post's monopoly, the Communications Regulator in Ireland began considering the introduction of postcodes. A Postcode Working Group met in early 2005 and produced a report^[2] recommending the implementation of a postcode system. On 23 May 2005, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, announced^[3] that postcodes will be introduced in Ireland by 1 January 2008. In November 2005, the National Statistics Board issued a report welcoming the decision^[4] and making recommendations as to its implementation. May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Noel Dempsey (born January 1953), is a senior Irish Fianna FÃ¡il politician. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In August 2006, Dempsey announced that the postcodes would include the one- or two-character county codes currently used in vehicle registration plates, making them alphanumeric.^[5] It has been reported^[6] that the current Dublin system of postal districts will be retained and any postcode system will be placed after the current district number. As of October 2006, the precise details of the system have not been released. A number plate for a car registered in 2001 in County Dublin Index marks on Number plates in the Republic of Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are: YY â€” a 2-digit year (e. ... Generally speaking, the term alphanumeric refers to anything that consists of only letters and numbers. ...

References

^ ^a ^b An Post is against codes plan from RTÉ Business, May 23, 2005
^ An examination of the issues in relation to the introduction of a postcode in Ireland report of the Postcode Working Group (MS Word doc)
^ Dempsey announces programme to introduce postcodes in Ireland by 1st January 2008 Government press release
^ Statistical and Policy Value of Postcodes (MS Word, 30 K) - paper from National Statistics Board
^ All addresses to be given postcodes from The Irish Examiner, August 14, 2006
^ Upmarket Dublin survives postcode shake-up by Colin Coyle in The Times, September 10, 2006

Radio TelefÃs Ã‰ireann[1] (RTÃ‰; IPA: , ) is the Public Service Broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... Microsoft Word is a word processor program from Microsoft. ... Microsoft Word is a word processor program from Microsoft. ... The Irish Examiner (Formerly: Cork Examiner, The Examiner) is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 1788. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

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