New-style (post-1987) Irish vehicle registration plates, have black characters on a white background,
and start with a group of two numbers, indicating the year of registration (eq, 04 for 2004
followed by one or two letters indicating the county or town of registration
(which is also written in Gaelic in small letters at the top of the plate):
- C (CORCAIGH) - County Cork
- CE (AN CLAR) - County Clare
- CN (AN CABHAN) - County Cavan
- CW (CEATHARLACH) - County Carlow
- D (BAILE ATHA CLIATH) - County Dublin
- DL (DUN NA NGALL) - County Donegal
- G (GAILLIMH) - County Galway
- KE (CILL DARA) - County Kildare
- KK (CILL CHEANNAIGH) - County Kilkenny
- KY (CIARRAI) - County Kerry
- L (LUIMNEACH) - Limerick City
- LD (AN LONGPHORT) - County Longford
- LH (AN LU) - County Louth
- LK (LUIMNEACH) - County Limerick
- LM (LIATROIM) - County Leitrim
- LS (LAOIS) - County Laois
- MH (AN MHI) - County Meath
- MN (MUINEACHAN) - County Monaghan
- MO (MAIGH EO) - County Mayo
- OY (UIBH FHAILI) - County Offaly
- RN (ROS COMAIN) - County Roscommon
- SO (SLIGEACH) - County Sligo
- TN (TIOBRAID ARANN) - County Tipperary (North Riding)
- TS (TIOBRAID ARANN) - County Tipperary (South Riding)
- W (PORT LAIRGE) - Waterford City
- WD (PORT LAIRGE) - County Waterford
- WH (AN IAR-MHI) - County Westmeath
- WW (CILL MHANTAIN) - County Wicklow
- WX (LOCH GARMAN) - County Wexford
- Z - Temporary import (black characters on silver background)
- ZZ - Export (black characters on silver background)
Old-style (pre-1987) Irish vehicle registration plates 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 vehicles over 30 years old
- ZW - Kildare
- ZX - Kerry
- ZY - Louth
- ZZ - Temporary registrations