<Tr> <Th> € = </Th> <Td> £ 0.787564 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete . </Td> </Tr> <P> The Irish pound (Irish: punt Éireannach) was the currency of Ireland until 2002 . Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £ (or IR £ where confusion might have arisen with the pound sterling or other pounds). The Irish pound was superseded by the euro on 1 January 1999 . Euro currency did not begin circulation until the beginning of 2002 . </P> <P> The earliest Irish coinage was introduced in the year 997, with a pound divided like the English pound into twenty shillings, each of twelve silver pence . Parity with the pound sterling was established by King John around 1210, so that Irish silver could move freely into the English economy and help to finance his wars in France . However, from 1460, Irish coins were minted with a different silver content than those of England, so that the values of the two currencies diverged . </P>

When did ireland change from pounds to euros