{"id":50,"date":"2018-06-19T13:27:15","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T13:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/wordpress\/?p=50"},"modified":"2019-06-02T15:03:54","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T15:03:54","slug":"license-plates-of-the-republic-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/?p=50","title":{"rendered":"License Plates of the Republic of Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The original series of license plate identifiers issued in the island of Ireland was part of the British system introduced in 1903. Uniquely, identifiers in Ireland contained the letter I <\/b>as part of 38 two-letter codes that were allocated in alphabetical order to the 32 counties, two cities (Dublin and Belfast) and four county boroughs (Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Derry). The initial registration format consisted of the two-letter code followed by a sequence number of 1 to 9999. The codes allocated ran from IA <\/b>to IZ<\/b>, and then from AI <\/b>to IW<\/b>; the letters G<\/b>, S <\/b>and V <\/b>were originally not used. In 1921 two additional codes, XI <\/b>and YI<\/b>, were issued to Belfast and Dublin, respectively.<\/p>\n

The full list of original two-letter codes is shown below.<\/p>\n

IA\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Antrim<\/p>\n

IB<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Armagh<\/p>\n

IC<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Carlow<\/p>\n

ID<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cavan<\/p>\n

IE<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Clare<\/p>\n

IF<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cork County<\/p>\n

IH<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Donegal<\/p>\n

IJ <\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Down<\/p>\n

IK<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin County<\/p>\n

IL<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Fermanagh<\/p>\n

IM<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Galway<\/p>\n

IN<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kerry<\/p>\n

IO<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kildare<\/p>\n

IP<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Kilkenny<\/p>\n

IR<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Offaly (formerly King\u2019s County)<\/p>\n

IT <\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Leitrim<\/p>\n

IU<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Limerick County<\/p>\n

IW<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Londonderry County<\/p>\n

IX <\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Longford<\/p>\n

IY<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Louth<\/p>\n

IZ<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mayo<\/p>\n

AI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Meath<\/p>\n

BI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Monaghan<\/p>\n

CI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Laois (formerly Queen\u2019s County)<\/p>\n

DI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Roscommon<\/p>\n

EI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Sligo<\/p>\n

FI <\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0Tipperary North Riding<\/p>\n

HI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Tipperary South Riding<\/p>\n

JI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Tyrone<\/p>\n

KI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Waterford County<\/p>\n

LI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Westmeath<\/p>\n

MI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Wexford<\/p>\n

NI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Wicklow<\/p>\n

OI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Belfast<\/p>\n

PI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Cork City<\/p>\n

RI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Dublin City<\/p>\n

TI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Limerick City<\/p>\n

UI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Derry<\/p>\n

WI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0 Waterford City<\/p>\n

XI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Belfast<\/p>\n

YI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin City<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In 1922 the southern 26 counties of Ireland became the Irish Free State, with the remaining six counties becoming Northern Ireland. In the Irish Free State a new series of two-letter codes with the letter Z <\/b>in first place (eg, ZA<\/b>) came into use in 1927. In Northern Ireland the new two-letter codes have Z <\/b>in the second place (eg, HZ <\/b>for Tyrone). The single-letter prefix Z<\/strong>\u00a0was used in Dublin County from 1927 to 1938.<\/p>\n

The list of two-letter codes with Z <\/b>for the Irish Free State is as follows:<\/p>\n

ZA<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZB<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Cork County<\/p>\n

ZC<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZD<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZE<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin County<\/p>\n

ZF<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Cork City<\/p>\n

ZH <\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZI\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZJ<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZK<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Cork County<\/p>\n

ZL<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin City<\/p>\n

ZM<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Galway<\/p>\n

ZN<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Meath<\/p>\n

ZO<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin<\/p>\n

ZP<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Donegal<\/p>\n

ZR<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Wexford<\/p>\n

ZT<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Cork County<\/p>\n

ZU<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin<\/p>\n

ZW<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Kildare<\/p>\n

ZX <\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kerry<\/p>\n

ZY<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Louth<\/p>\n

ZZ<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Temporary registrations<\/p>\n

Z<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin County<\/p>\n

Having exhausted all available two-letter codes, Dublin issued a three-letter, three-digit format (eg, ARI 123<\/b>) in May, 1954. Other registration authorities adopted this format once all two-letter combinations had been issued. In Co Leitrim, a rural western county, this process took until 1972 to complete. In 1970 Dublin exhausted all its three-letter combinations and began issuing \u201creversed\u201d registrations (eg, 1234 RI<\/b>). In 1982, with Dublin and several other counties having exhausted all possible combinations of their original two-letter codes, codes including G, S <\/b>and V <\/b>were assigned to a number of registration authorities. These additional codes are as follows:<\/p>\n

IS<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mayo<\/p>\n

IV<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Limerick<\/p>\n

GI<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tipperary South Riding<\/p>\n

SI<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dublin<\/p>\n

ZG<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Dublin<\/p>\n

ZS<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 Dublin<\/p>\n

ZV<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0Vehicles 30+ years old<\/p>\n

From 1903 to 1969 all license plate had been white or silver characters on a black base. In 1969 the option of black-on-white in the front and black-on-red in the rear was introduced. In subsequent years drivers exercised significant creativity with regards to colours, fonts and plate sizes with their allotted registrations.<\/p>\n

Today, a vanishingly-small number of plates from the 1903-1986 series is seen on Irish roads. These plates must remain with the original vehicle and cannot be transferred to other vehicles. Thus, in time, these plates will be become rarer and rarer. The plates photographs below were primarily seen (in the rain!) at a classic car meet held as a feature of the Mallow Garden Festival on May 27th, 2018.<\/p>\n

Plates of Co Clare<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These plates were issued in 1975 and 1986.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Plates of Cork City<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These plates were issued in 1973, 1976, 1982, 1985 and 1986.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Co Cork.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These plates were issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1922, and in 1952, 1967, 1972, 1973,1977, 1980, 1984 and 1985.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Donegal<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plate was issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1967.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Dublin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These plates were issued in 1952, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1975, 1982, and 1986.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

License Plates of Galway<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The license plate was issued in 1973<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

License Plates of Kerry<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plate was issued in 1954.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

License Plates of Kildare<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This license plate was issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1977.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Kilkenny<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plates were issued in 1973 and 1974.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Limerick City<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plates were issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1967.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Co Limerick<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These plates were issued in 1971,\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1978 and\u00a0circa<\/em> 1981.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Meath<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This license plate was issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1950.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Tipperary South Riding<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plate was issued circa\u00a0<\/em>1979.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Waterford City<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plate was issued\u00a0circa<\/em> 1968.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

License Plates of Westmeath<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This plate was issued\u00a0circa\u00a0<\/em>1981.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kilkenny license plate\u00a0VIP 1<\/strong>: the true story!<\/p>\n

In 1974 the sought-after plate\u00a0VIP 1\u00a0<\/strong>was issued to Bill Finnegan, founder of the Kilkenny Beer Festival, for his Jaguar XJ6. The licensing authority apparently assigned it to him in recognition of his contributions to the county. In the late 1970’s Bill Finnegan moved to London to work with Gulf Oil. Since the registration was technically assigned to an Irish car he was unable to move the plate to another vehicle. He sold the plate (and the car) for \u00a35,500. In 1989 the pate was sold at auction for \u00a392,000. In July 2006 Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club, acquired the\u00a0\u00a0VIP 1\u00a0<\/strong>plate for His Rolls Royce Corniche IV convertible for \u00a3285,000.<\/p>\n

During the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland in 1979 a\u00a0replica\u00a0<\/em>VIP 1\u00a0<\/strong>plate was made for the (unlicensed) Popemobile.<\/p>\n

Source: Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic: “VIP 1: Abramovic buys trophy Irish license plate”,\u00a0The Irish Times<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>July 7th, 2006<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The original series of license plate identifiers issued in the island of Ireland was part of the British system introduced in 1903. Uniquely, identifiers in Ireland contained the letter I as part of 38 two-letter codes that were allocated in… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1055,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50\/revisions\/1055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dereklehane.ie\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}