1951-1998 Irish Letter Rates

Department of Posts and Telegraphs and
An Post, The Irish Post Office

Irish Uniform Foreign Airmail Rates

The Department of Posts and Telegraphs was responsible for all postal services in Ireland until the formation of An Post, the Irish Post Office, a semi-state body, that took over those functions on 1 January 1984. The postal rates below span periods of both organisations and the rates set by them.

These rate tables cover only the Irish foreign airmail rates after the introduction a single rate for all foreign destinations that started on 1 March 1951 and continues through today. For more information about the Irish Uniform Foreign Airmail Rates read this page because there are issues about what countries were regarded as 'foreign' at which time, as well as other pertinent background information.

There are three distinct time periods:

Sterling Currency

Currency Decimalization

Weight Metrication

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Sterling Currency
This rate table covers the foreign airmail rates from the introduction of uniform foreign Airmail Rate that started on 1 March 1951 until the currency decimalization on 25 February 1971.
Date	Letters			Printed Papers
Date	Not over 1/2 oz.	Each Addt. 1/2 oz.	Reg Fee	Not over 1/2 oz.	Each Addt. 1/2 oz.	Post card	Air- letter	Late Fee	Express Fee
			(note 1)		(note 2)	(note 1)		(note 3)	(note 4)
1 March 1951	1/4	1/-	4d	1/-	6d	8d	8d	1/2d	6d
18 May 1953	1/4	1/-	6d	1/-	6d	8d	8d	1/2d	6d
6 July 1953	1/3	1/-	6d	9d	6d	6d	8d	1/2d	6d
1 April 1959	1/3	1/-	9d	9d	6d	6d	8d	1/2d	1/-
1 June 1964	1/5	1/1	1/-	10d	6d	8d	10d	1d	1/6
1 January 1969	1/9	1/3	1/3	1/-	7d	10d	1/-	1d	1/6
1 October 1970	2/9	2/-	2/-	1/6	10d	1/3	1/6	1d	1/6

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Decimal Currency
This rate table covers the foreign airmail rates from the introduction of decimal currency that started on 25 February 1971 and has continued through other changes, like weight metrication, until the introduction of the Euro currency on 1 January 2002.
Date	Letters			Printed Papers
Date	Not over 1/2 oz.	Each Addt. 1/2 oz.	Reg Fee	Not over 1/2 oz.	Each Addt. 1 oz.	Post card	Air- letter	Late Fee	Express Fee
			(note 1)		(note 2)	(note 1)
25 February 1971	14p	10p	10p	7 1/2p	4p	6p	7 1/2p	1/2p	7 1/2p
1 July 1971	12p	8p	10p	7 1/2p	4p	6p	7p	1/2p	7 1/2p
1 July 1973	12p	8p	12p	7 1/2p	4p	6p	7p	1/2p	7 1/2p
1 October 1974	15p	9p	18p	10p	5p	8p	9p	1p	9p
1 January 1976	15p	9p	24p	10p	5p	9p	9p	1p	9p
1 April 1977	17p	10p	27p	11 1/2p	5 1/2p	10p	10p	1p	10p

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Weight Metrication
This rate chart cover only the Foreign airmail rates after the introduction of weigh metrication for Irish mail that started on 25 July 1977 and continued until 5 April 1998 from which time there are more extensive rate tables available on this web site.
Date	Letters				Printed Papers
Date	Not over 10g.	Not over 20g.	Each Addt. 10g.	Reg Fee	Not over 10g.	Not over 20g.	Each Addt. 10g.	Post card	Air- letter	Late Fee	Express Fee
	(note 5)				(note 5)						(note 6)
25 July 1977		17p	7p	27p		11p	2p	10p	10p	1p	10p
1 August 1979		20p	8p	32p		13p	3p	12p	12p	2p	12p
1 July 1980		25p	10p	40p		16p	4p	15p	16p	3p	15p
1 April 1981		30p	12p	48p		19p	4p	18p	20p	4p	19p	(18p)
1 September 1981		36p	14p	58p		23p	5p	22p	25p	5p	23p	(22p)
1 April 1982		44p	16p	70p		28p	6p	26p	30p	6p	29p	(26p)
25 February 1985	44p	54p	17p	90p	28p	32p	10p	28p	37p	10p	50p
3 March 1986	46p	55p	17p	95p	32p	34p	10p	30p	40p	11p	55p
1 January 1990		50p	20p	£1.00		35p	13p	32p	42p	12p	55p
2 April 1991		52p	22p	£1.05		38p	15p	38p	45p	15p	70p
20 January 1992		52p	22p	£1.05		38p	15p	38p	45p	15p	(note 7)
Detailed Irish Postal Rates for 2 April 1991 to 5 April 1998

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Notes:

(1) With the exception of an increase of 1p in the postcard rate on 1 January 1976, there were no changes in airmail rates on 18 May 1953, 1 April 1959, 1 July 1973 and 1 January 1976. Registration fees were increased on the foregoing dates.

(2) Prior to 1 June 1964 the second and subsequent weight steps were 1/2 oz; 1oz applied from 1 June 1964.

(3) The increase in the Late Fee from 1/2d to 1d has yet to be ascertained. Joachim Schaaf's suggests the increase started on 28.3.1960.

(4). It was thought the increase in Express Fee from 6d to 1/- took place on 1 April 1959 but a cover has been seen with a 1/- Express Fee paid on 21 March 1958. The increase in the Express Fee from 1/- to 1/6 has yet to be ascertained, but the 1967 Post Office Guide shows the Express Fee at 1/6 for the first time. Joachim Schaaf's suggests the Express Fee increase took place on 1 June 1964 on the same date that other postal rates changed.

(5). Metrication was introduced on 25 July 1977 (1/2 oz. = 14.175g.). The initial weight step for both letters and printed matter was reduced to 10g. on 25 February 1985 but reverted back to 20g. on 1 January 1990.

(6) Note that the basic Express Fee has usually been the same for both inland and foreign mail. However during the period 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 the foreign rate was higher. The inland rate is given in brackets.

(7) On 19 January 1992 all fees remained the same except that the Express Fee were abolished and replaced by Swiftpost, a trackable priority mail service that ensured preferential handling both in Ireland and in the country of destination: £2.00 for all international mail, inc. GB (£1.00 - inland inc. N. Ireland). The pre-numbered label (and receipt) is affixed in addition to airmail postage.

Rates extracted from publications of the Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs
and An Post, the Irish Post Office

Department of Posts and Telegraphs and An Post, The Irish Post Office

Irish Uniform Foreign Airmail Rates

Department of Posts and Telegraphs and
An Post, The Irish Post Office