The Irish pound was the first national currency of independent Ireland, introduced in 1928.
The currency, known in Irish as the punt, replaced the British currency notes and coins that had circulated in the Irish Free State after independence. The first Irish pound banknotes and coins were issued in 1928, although the new money initially maintained parity with sterling.
For much of its early history, the Irish pound remained closely linked to the British pound. That arrangement simplified trade with the United Kingdom but meant that Ireland had limited freedom to conduct an independent exchange-rate policy. Irish banknotes carried distinctive designs, while coins featured national symbols such as the harp.
Ireland decimalized the pound in 1971, making one pound equal to 100 new pence. The Irish pound was replaced by the euro in 2002, when euro notes and coins entered everyday circulation. The word punt is still used in historical and cultural references to the currency.