New-style (post-1987) vehicle registration plates in (the Republic of) Ireland, have black characters on a white background,
and start with a group of two numbers indicating the year of registration (eq, 04 for 2004),
or (from 2013) three numbers indicating the half year of registration (eq, 132 for second half of 2013),
followed by one or two letters indicating the county or town of registration
(which is also written in Irish in small letters at the top of the plate):
- C (CORCAIGH) - County Cork
- CE (AN CLÁR) - County Clare
- CN (AN CABHÁN) - County Cavan
- CW (CEATHARLACH) - County Carlow
- D (BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH) - County Dublin
- DL (DÚN NA NGALL) - County Donegal
- G (GAILLIMH) - County Galway
- KE (CILL DARA) - County Kildare
- KK (CILL CHEANNAIGH) - County Kilkenny
- KY (CIARRAI) - County Kerry
- L (CATHAIR LUIMNI) - Limerick City
- LD (AN LONGPHORT) - County Longford
- LH (AN LÚ) - County Louth
- LK (LUIMNEACH) - County Limerick
- LM (LIATROIM) - County Leitrim
- LS (LAOIS) - County Laois
- MH (AN MHI) - County Meath
- MN (MUINEACHÁN) - County Monaghan
- MO (MAIGH EO) - County Mayo
- OY (UIBH FHAILI) - County Offaly
- RN (ROS COMÁIN) - County Roscommon
- SO (SLIGEACH) - County Sligo
- TN (TIOBRAID ÁRANN THUAIDH) - County Tipperary (North Riding)
- TS (TIOBRAID ÁRANN THEAS) - County Tipperary (South Riding)
- W (CATHAIR PHORT LÁIRGE) - Waterford City
- WD (PHORT LÁIRGE) - County Waterford
- WH (AN IARMHI) - County Westmeath
- WW (CILL MHANTÁIN) - County Wicklow
- WX (LOCH GARMAN) - County Wexford
- Z - Temporary import (black characters on silver background)
- ZV - Vehicles over 30 years old registered since c1990, in the form "ZV 34567" on old style plates
- ZZ - New vehicles for tax-free export, in the form "ZZ 34567"
Old-style (pre-1987) vehicle registration plates in (the Republic of) Ireland followed the system
introduced in the UK in 1904: the plate usually contains a group of two or three letters
(if three, ignore the first, and use the second & third); very old ones use only one letter;
these indicate the town of first registration::
- CI - Laoish (formerly Queens Co)
- FI - Tipperary (North Riding)
- GI - Tipperary (South Riding)
- HI - Tipperary (South Riding)
- IC - Carlow
- ID - Cavan
- IE - Clare
- IF - Cork
- IH - Donegal
- IK - Dublin
- IM - Galway
- IN - Kerry
- IO - Kildare
- IP - Kilkenny
- IR - Offaly (formerly Kings Co)
- IS - Mayo
- IT - Leitrim
- IU - Limerick
- IV - Limerick
- IX - Longford
- IY - Louth
- IZ - Mayo
- Z - Dublin
- ZA - Dublin
- ZB - Cork
- ZC - Dublin
- ZD - Dublin
- ZE - Dublin
- ZF - Cork
- ZC - Dublin
- ZG - Dublin
- ZH - Dublin
- ZJ - Dublin
- ZK - Cork
- ZL - Dublin
- ZM - Galway
- ZN - Meath
- ZO - Dublin
- ZP - Donegal
- ZR - Wexford
- ZS - Dublin
- ZT - Cork
- ZU - Dublin
- ZV - Dublin or vintage vehicles over 30 years old (see also new-style above)
- ZW - Kildare
- ZX - Kerry
- ZY - Louth
- ZZ - Temporary registrations (see also new-style above)