[edit] Locations

As a general rule, even numbered postal districts are on the Southside, while odd numbered districts are on the Northside. Exceptions are the Phoenix Park, which is in Dublin 8 although it is north of the Liffey, and the part of Chapelizod (all coded Dublin 20), which is also on the Northside.

All of the districts can be abbreviated, as, for example, D4, D6W, D9.

An Post has noted that, with just one exception, no street name occurs more than once in any postal district.

Publicly distributed leaflet to publicise the Dublin Postal Districts issued by the Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs - dated April 1976

2007 Postal Districts for Dublin City and Suburbs

• Dublin 1 includes most of the north inner city, including Abbey Street, Amiens Street, Capel Street, Dorset Street, Henry Street and Mary Street, Mountjoy Square, Marlborough Street, North Wall, O'Connell Street, Parnell Square, and Talbot Street. Notable features of this area include the General Post Office, from which distances are measured, the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Dublin Writers Museum.

• Dublin 2 encompasses most of the city centre south of the River Liffey and takes in areas around Merrion Square, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Dame Street, Leeson Street and Wexford Street. It includes notable important buildings and tourist attractions such as Leinster House, Stephen's Green, the main National Museum building and The National Gallery of Ireland. The borders of Dublin 2 are the Liffey in the north, the Grand Canal to the south and east and Patrick's Street and Clanbrassil Street to the west.

• Dublin 3 encompasses areas such as Ballybough, North Strand, Clonliffe, Clontarf, Dollymount, East Wall (including East Point), Fairview, most of Killester, and Marino.

• Dublin 4 includes Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Irishtown, Merrion, Pembroke, Ringsend and Sandymount and contains the RDS grounds, Lansdowne Road stadium, and many embassies. "D4" has acquired its own socio-economic identity; see separate article at Dublin 4.

• Dublin 5 includes most of Artane^[2], central Coolock, Harmonstown, Kilbarrack, and Raheny.

• Dublin 6 includes Milltown, Ranelagh, Rathmines (including Dartry), and Rathgar).

• Dublin 6W includes Harold's Cross, Templeogue, and Terenure.

• Dublin 7 includes Arbour Hill, Broadstone, Cabra, Phibsboro, Smithfield, Stoneybatter; a key feature is the Four Courts complex.

• Dublin 8 includes Dolphin's Barn, Inchicore, Islandbridge, Kilmainham, Merchants Quay, Portobello, South Circular Road, the Phoenix Park and The Coombe, and notable buildings include Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is unusual in that it is one of only two postal districts to span the Liffey.

• Dublin 9 includes parts of Ballymun (Shangan ,Coultry, Balbutcher and Poppintree), Beaumont, Donnycarney, Drumcondra, Elm Mount, Griffith Avenue, Glasnevin, Santry, and Whitehall.

• Dublin 10 includes Ballyfermot.

• Dublin 11 includes parts of Ballymun (Sillogue, Balcurris, Sandyhill and Wadelai), Dubber, Finglas (including Ballygall and Cappagh), parts of Glasnevin, and Kilshane Cross.

• Dublin 12 includes Bluebell, Crumlin, Perrystown, Drimnagh, and Walkinstown.

• Dublin 13 Baldoyle, Bayside, Donaghmede, Sutton, Howth and the Ayrfield part of Coolock.

• Dublin 14 includes Churchtown, Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown, Rathfarnham and Windy Arbour.

• Dublin 15 includes Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Coolmine, Clonsilla, Corduff, Mulhuddart, Tyrrelstown and the Dublin part of Clonee, as well as Ongar.

• Dublin 16 includes Ballinteer, Ballyboden, Kilmashogue, Knocklyon and Rockbrook.

• Dublin 17 includes Balgriffin, most of Coolock, and Belcamp, Darndale and Priorswood.

• Dublin 18 includes Cabinteely, Carrickmines, Foxrock, Kilternan, Sandyford, Ticknock, Ballyedmonduff, Stepaside, and Leopardstown.

• Dublin 20 includes Chapelizod, and Palmerstown. This is one of only two postal districts to span the Liffey.

• Dublin 22 includes Clondalkin, Rowlagh, Quarryvale and Liffey Valley, and Neilstown.

• Dublin 24 includes Firhouse, Jobstown, and Tallaght (see that article for component estates / localities, such as Kilnamanagh).

[edit] Change to postal codes

In 2006, The Sunday Times reported that the current system of postal districts would be retained and any postcode system will be placed after the current district number but the precise details of the system were not released .^[3]

However, it was announced on September 20, 2009, that a national postcode system for Ireland would be implemented in 2011.^[4]

[edit] History

The postal district system was introduced in 1917 by the UK government, as a practical way to organise local postal distribution. This followed the example of other cities, notably London, first subdivided into ten districts in 1857, and Liverpool, the first city in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to have postcodes, from 1864, and was part of a wave of such introductions across Britain and Ireland. The alphabetic code "D" was set aside to designate Dublin, and after Irish independence, was not reallocated. The new Irish government retained the postal district system.

The districts have been added to as the city grew, and large districts have been subdivided, as when Dublin 5 was split, with the coastal part retaining the "5" and the inland part becoming Dublin 17. The most controversial move was the splitting of Dublin 6, which led to huge protests over the "loss" of the perceived status of "6"^{[citation needed]}, and the eventual breaching of the system's numerical tradition with the creation of Dublin 6W.

[edit] References