Eircode now launched!

Rabbo

Again, the addresses provided on the eircode website are largely irrelevant. The eircode is associated with the house marked on the map, not the address. There's nothing stopping you using the correct address with the correct eircode.

The addresses on the eircode website appear to have been taken from An Posts geo directory, the faults contained in that seem to stem from the fact that we never had a proper postcode system and a proper way of identifying individual addresses.

readytosnap

NomadicGray wrote: »

That's pretty cool. Will be handy if couriers are going to use it as they can have trouble finding my house.

i hope you don't live in Shannon airport which is now in Limerick

c_man

So why isn't this data open...?

stoneill

Got my address wrong.
Where did they get the data? House name is completely wrong.

Flukey

TheChizler wrote: »

How about the multiple people who have posted on boards saying that they share their full address with 20-30 neighbours? Even if they include names (which defeats the purpose of it being a property id) there are many cases of multiple Mary Murphys living next door to each other.

That is a local issue. Obviously over the years they've managed to deal with the issue with the post that they have received and it got to the right people, eventually. If it was such a major problem, then they could do something like putting names or numbers on houses. Up to now they've never done anything like that amongst themselves. Those kinds of issues should be sorted locally years ago. If they haven't seen the need to do so up to now, it obviously wasn't a priority issue. Even with this system, the postal services may not gain much advantage out of it by all accounts, in terms of differentiating particular properties. So with or without Eircode, the postal services will still be depending on local knowledge where apparent confusion arises.

PK2008

Flukey wrote: »

That is a local issue. Obviously over the years they've managed to deal with the issue with the post that they have received and it got to the right people, eventually. If it was such a major problem, then they could do something like putting names or numbers on houses. Up to now they've never done anything like that amongst themselves. Those kinds of issues should be sorted locally years ago. If they haven't seen the need to do so up to now, it obviously wasn't a priority issue. Even with this system, the postal services may not gain much advantage out of it by all accounts, in terms of differentiating particular properties. So with or without Eircode, the postal services will still be depending on local knowledge where apparent confusion arises.

Its a 'local' issue which effects 35% of all addresses in Ireland and it has never been sorted out until Eircode arrived. This 35% didnt just muddle on regardless they have been demanding a solution for years and not just for post for all manner of services those in urban areas take for granted.

TheChizler

Flukey wrote: »

That is a local issue. Obviously over the years they've managed to deal with the issue with the post that they have received and it got to the right people, eventually. If it was such a major problem, then they could do something like putting names or numbers on houses. Up to now they've never done anything like that amongst themselves. Those kinds of issues should be sorted locally years ago. If they haven't seen the need to do so up to now, it obviously wasn't a priority issue. Even with this system, the postal services may not gain much advantage out of it by all accounts, in terms of differentiating particular properties. So with or without Eircode, the postal services will still be depending on local knowledge where apparent confusion arises.

It's a local issue for 35% of the country. The coordination to make addresses unique really needs a national effort. Can you imagine the uproar if the government were to assign new numbers, names, or area names to houses and make it illegal to use anything but that? Because that's the only way that would work. This way there is an additional field that people may use that ensures that anybody, not necessarily the local postman, can find their house, if they give them the code. They don't have to use it if they don't want to, but if they don't use it it's not going to cause Mary down the lane to have her post delivered to them because they refuse to put up a sign to differentiate their address from Mary.

ItHurtsWhenIP

One horrible thought has crossed my mind, mainly given the fact that I live in Co. Tipperary, but have an eircode in Co. Limerick.

Will insurance companies use the eircode to make underwriting decisions on car and home insurance?

I remember my car insurance dropped when I moved out from Limerick to Tipperary, but with this will I now be penalised? I must e-mail my broker!!!

murpho999

Flukey wrote: »

It is also quite embarrassing to have a system that is meant to improve the postal system which actually has addresses wrong. If you live in Clare, then you live in Clare, not Limerick. Somewhere close to a county boundary might be forgiven, but others, like Shannon Airport being in county Limerick, when it is miles away from it, is very bad. Only Renua's launch earlier this year, is up there as being such a disastrous start. Renua and Eircode should be scrapped.

This Shannon publicity that is being jumped upon is a misnomer.

The "Limerick" part means that they post for Shannon is handled and sorted by a post office in Limerick.
So if you post an a letter to "Shannon Airport, Co Clare' from An Posts point of view it goes to Limerick for sorting and delivered from there.

Perhaps they shouldn't have put those addresses on the Eircode website.

So if the correct Eircode is used it wil go to the correct address.

Also, I don't get the demands for sequencing. l lived in Holland and that has sequential postcodes. a n4 digit number would cover a town and 2 lettters would give a block of 6-10 houses. The next block though would not really be in sequence. However, I never needed a post code to find a house. I used addresses. Nor did I know or care about any neighbour's post codes etc.

Post codes are for databases and people with access to the correct database will be able to make use of it. Couriers , emergency services will all come on board and the system will work.

sligeach

Since when is Leixlip in Naas?

readytosnap

I just don't understand why they couldn't use the same map/system as the ESB, when there was a problem with a pole (esb) in my garden, I rang the esb they asked for the info on the top of the bill and within 30 seconds she knew where exactly my house was and in fairness to esb networks they were at the house within 45 minutes.

8 months ago an ambulance had to be called for me to my house, I was unconscious at the time of the call but the missus gave them the address, the area, directions from the town (where the ambulance is based) which is 5 miles away and it took them 1hr 43 minutes to get here in fact it was that long I had recovered (not really) I arrived in hospital 3hrs after the initial call, but thank god I wasn't having a stroke or a heart attack or I most certainly would be dead now.

funnily enough the tax man was able to identify my property location very easily also when they were looking for the property tax and I'm sure Irish water will have similar ease when they try to install a meter outside my house. we do almost everything arseways in this country :eek:

Flukey

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Shannon is 15 minutes from the limerick post office and 30 from ennis

...and zero minutes from county Clare. Shannon is no more in county Limerick than it is in Antarctica.

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

You can still say up the banner without being shamed.

Well I was in Thurles on Saturday for our great victory over Limerick (and they say us Dubs don't travel), and I was hoping that Clare would beat Cork, but unfortunately they didn't.

PK2008

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

One horrible thought has crossed my mind, mainly given the fact that I live in Co. Tipperary, but have an eircode in Co. Limerick.

Will insurance companies use the eircode to make underwriting decisions on car and home insurance?

I remember my car insurance dropped when I moved out from Limerick to Tipperary, but with this will I now be penalised? I must e-mail my broker!!!

They will use your eircode because it gives them a more accurate location than anything that was used before, your eircode is linked to a geo code.

Rabbo

It might be a good idea to have the local post men/women to review and correct all addresses in their area. Surely they are best placed to rectify any of these issues.

c_man wrote: »

So why isn't this data open...?

Because someone has to pay the €26million all this cost. Putting it all on the taxpayer mightn't exactly be popular so they decided on charging the companies that will benefit from it.Although I don't agree that 15 searches free per day is enough for personal use

Flukey

sligeach wrote: »

Since when is Leixlip in Naas?

Since Shannon Airport was in Limerick.

readytosnap

murpho999 wrote: »

Post codes are for databases and people with access to the correct database will be able to make use of it. Couriers , emergency services will all come on board and the system will work.

better targeted SPAM MAIL that is all they will be used for.

TheChizler

Flukey wrote: »

Since Shannon Airport was in Limerick.

I take it you haven't read post 300?

wendell borton

€27m seems an awful lot for basically going through google maps and applying a code to each house.

murpho999

sligeach wrote: »

Since when is Leixlip in Naas?

It's not but Leixlip's post would be handled by Naas.

PK2008

Rabbo wrote: »

It might be a good idea to have the local post men/women to review and correct all addresses in their area. Surely they are best placed to rectify any of these issues.




Because someone has to pay the €26million all this cost. Putting it all on the taxpayer mightn't exactly be popular so they decided on charging the companies that will benefit from it.Although I don't agree that 15 searches free per day is enough for personal use

The only way to fix a non unique address is to propose a unique one. It wouldnt be practical to ask post men/ women to propose 700,000 unique addresses off the tope of their head, nevermine the push back you would get from the owners. The eircode resolves this in the most practical way possible.

stoneill

LOC8 is much better.

PK2008

wendell borton wrote: »

€27m seems an awful lot for basically going through google maps and applying a code to each house.

I think people drastically overestimate the coverage of google maps. They are great in urban areas, not so good in rural plus they dont update very regularly

murpho999

wendell borton wrote: »

€27m seems an awful lot for basically going through google maps and applying a code to each house.

You do realise that there is more to it than that and also the system will make money in the long run?

PK2008

stoneill wrote: »

LOC8 is much better.

This is another thing I dont understand, why would LOC8 be any better, the only comprehensive database of addresses in ireland with geo codes is the Geo directory. Loc8 would still have to map to it unless they asked 2.2 million people to generate their own loc8 codes. That would never happen and could be prone to user error

murpho999

readytosnap wrote: »

better targeted SPAM MAIL that is all they will be used for.

Really, why so negative. They can spam you without your SPAM.

Also, in this day age surely 'junk mail' is hardly sent any more.

readytosnap

murpho999 wrote: »

This Shannon publicity that is being jumped upon is a misnomer.

The "Limerick" part means that they post for Shannon is handled and sorted by a post office in Limerick.
So if you post an a letter to "Shannon Airport, Co Clare' from An Posts point of view it goes to Limerick for sorting and delivered from there.

I think you will find that you are incorrect, if I were to post a letter in Athlone to Shannon airport, the letter would be sorted in Athlone where it would be placed in a cage with all the others for Shannon airport. That cage is then sent on a truck to Cork and then transferred to a truck that goes to Shannon, that letter will not be sorted in any way in Limerick.

ItHurtsWhenIP

PK2008 wrote: »

They will use your eircode because it gives them a more accurate location than anything that was used before, your eircode is linked to a geo code.

I see that - but if they take Co. Limerick out of the eircode DB rather than Co. Tipperary (where I actually live) then my premiums could be higher.

Rabbo

PK2008 wrote: »

The only way to fix a non unique address is to propose a unique one. It wouldnt be practical to ask post men/ women to propose 700,000 unique addresses off the tope of their head, nevermine the push back you would get from the owners. The eircode resolves this in the most practical way possible.

I wasn't proposing An Post workers to come up with unique addresses, just correct the obvious errors in their GeoDirectory. I think the eircode system seems good, it's just that there's a lot of obvious address inaccuracies that could be easily rectified with the local knowledge the post worker have

gctest50

stoneill wrote: »

LOC8 is much better.

Loc88 is dire


http://www.openpostcode.org/

The Moldy Gowl

Flukey wrote: »

...and zero minutes from county Clare. Shannon is no more in county Limerick than it is in Antarctica.




Well I was in Thurles on Saturday for our great victory over Limerick (and they say us Dubs don't travel), and I was hoping that Clare would beat Cork, but unfortunately they didn't.

Where does the post go before it gets to Shannon?
Limerick.

Flukey

TheChizler wrote: »

I take it you haven't read post 300?

I have, but Shannon Airport is still in county Clare.

PK2008

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

I see that - but if they take Co. Limerick out of the eircode DB rather than Co. Tipperary (where I actually live) then my premiums could be higher.

I can see what you mean but it is more likely insurance companies will move to geo based risk modelling rather than county boundaries. They will care more about the concentrstion of risk within a cluster of geo codes rather than county or even town limits.

G_R

sligeach wrote: »

Since when is Leixlip in Naas?

It's not, but as has been pointed out many times on the thread, post for leixlip, Celbridge, etc is sorted in Naas by an post. Since Eircode are using the an post database, Naas (the postal town) is included in the address.

readytosnap

murpho999 wrote: »

Really, why so negative. They can spam you without your SPAM.

Also, in this day age surely 'junk mail' is hardly sent any more.

Not sent anymore? ask your local postman how much he earned last year from delivering "publicity post" ( as it is referred to) 1 item a week would be worth a grand a year to the postman that is based on 5c per item on an average route of 400 houses.
postie will probably be worse off because previously the junk mail was just sent out in bulk to be delivered to everyone, by targeting specific addresses postie will deliver less and therefore be paid less.

PK2008

Rabbo wrote: »

I wasn't proposing An Post workers to come up with unique addresses, just correct the obvious errors in their GeoDirectory. I think the eircode system seems good, it's just that there's a lot of obvious address inaccuracies that could be easily rectified with the local knowledge the post worker have

Id say the geo directory could be updated for things like spelling mistakes but to try to update 700k addresses with brand new address lines would be an enormous task - applying a unique ID to the addresses solves the issue much easier.

murpho999

readytosnap wrote: »

I think you will find that you are incorrect, if I were to post a letter in Athlone to Shannon airport, the letter would be sorted in Athlone where it would be placed in a cage with all the others for Shannon airport. That cage is then sent on a truck to Cork and then transferred to a truck that goes to Shannon, that letter will not be sorted in any way in Limerick.

You may be right: Here's what I found on the FAQ on their website

The county shown on the Eircode Finder for may address is incorrect. Can it be changed?
The addresses used to assign Eircodes are postal addresses. This is also the address used for all Eircode communications. For the purpose of mail delivery, use of the correct postal address containing the information required to ensure correct routing of mail, is essential. The postal address includes the name of the ‘post town’, i.e. the town or village in which your specific mail delivery office is located and through which your mail is routed. This may not be the nearest town to you geographically as it is determined purely by the mails network. An Post encourage you to use your correct postal address for the purpose of efficient mail delivery. Eircode are unable to change postal address information

and

The address you are using on the Eircode Finder is not the one I use. Are Eircode able to change it?
Properties can have a number of addresses attributed to them by different institutions for different purposes – e.g. Title Deeds for a property may list an address based on historic townlands or a barony which is no longer in common usage but is correct for legal purposes, while church records may record an address based on parish boundaries. The addresses used to allocate an Eircode are postal addresses and these are the addresses displayed on the Eircode Letter and on the Eircode Finder. Eircode is unable to change postal address information.

PK2008

gctest50 wrote: »

Loc88 is dire


http://www.openpostcode.org/

Any system, Loc8, openpostcode, whatever will all need the 2.2 million addresses to map their code to, that database only exists in the Geo directory. Unless these companies can generate the 2.2 million addresses themselves or ask the 2.2 million address owners to generate them they are snookered.

Flukey

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Where does the post go before it gets to Shannon?
Limerick.

Well if someone was posting a letter to you from China, the letter might go to Beijing or Shanghai etc., first, but Shannon is still in county Clare. Even if the last place it goes to before getting to you is Limerick, Shannon is still in county Clare. When it does get pushed through your letter box, the letter is in county Clare. If I was writing to someone in Shannon, I'd have county Clare in the address. After all, that is where it is. Even if it was a day later, it would get to the person.

readytosnap

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Where does the post go before it gets to Shannon?
Limerick.

Cork, see reply #327

Flukey

None of us live in our local sorting office. A letter is being addressed to us, not to the local sorting office. It may come through a local sorting office, which may be in another county, but it is being sent to our home. So it is our address that should be on it, reflecting where we live. So whether letters to Shannon go through Limerick or Cork, they should be addressed as Co. Clare. The letter may go through several sorting offices around the world enroute to you, but it should have your exact address on it. If I lived in Shannon, I would have my address as county Clare. People who live in Shannon have been getting post over the years, whether they are addressed as Clare or not.

The Dogs Bollix

The Cush wrote: »

The following letters/numbers will be used in the Eircode

A,C,D,E,F,H,K,N,P,R,T,V,W,X,Y / 0 - 9

no B, G, I, J, L, M, O, Q, S, U, Z

Am I correct in saying the first half of the code is the county? eg H91 is Galway? D for Dublin, T for Cork, and V for Limerick.

There's only 15 letters being used and 11 letters unused. There's 26 counties? What's happening here, is there a different letter for each county? Or are they reusing letters?

G_R

The Dogs Bollix wrote: »

Am I correct in saying the first half of the code is the county? eg H91 is Galway? D for Dublin, T for Cork, and V for Limerick.

There's only 15 letters being used and 11 letters unused. There's 26 counties? What's happening here, is there a different letter for each county? Or are they reusing letters?

Doesn't correspond to counties as that's not the way an post sorts post. It corresponds to postal areas. How many of them there are, I don't know, but they aren't along county lines.

For example - south county Dublin (which didn't have post codes before) is now A-- ----, but the existing D1-24 codes stay.

PK2008

Flukey wrote: »

None of us live in our local sorting office. A letter is being addressed to us, not to the local sorting office. It may come through a local sorting office, which may be in another county, but it is being sent to our home. So it is our address that should be on it, reflecting where we live. So whether letters to Shannon go through Limerick or Cork, they should be addressed as Co. Clare. The letter may go through several sorting offices around the world enroute to you, but it should have your exact address on it. If I lived in Shannon, I would have my address as county Clare. People who live in Shannon have been getting post over the years, whether they are addressed as Clare or not.

The postal address issue was there long before eircode, you can continue to write your address any way you please. The postal address is unlikely to change because An Post own the address, Im.sure you can ask them to change it but in reality its probably the most efficient way for them to get mail you through their network. Its just one of the many legacy addressing issues that forced the creation of a unique id i.e. the eircode.

The Dogs Bollix

Grand_Rajnah wrote: »

Doesn't correspond to counties as that's not the way an post sorts post. It corresponds to postal areas. How many of them there are, I don't know, but they aren't along county lines.

For example - south county Dublin (which didn't have post codes before) is now A-- ----, but the existing D1-24 codes stay.

I'm confused

Steppenwolfe

whisky_galore wrote: »

They left them out, thus putting Conradh na G's nose out of joint.

Every dark cloud...

PK2008

The Dogs Bollix wrote: »

I'm confused

The first 3 letters are a 'routing code' which i guess maps to the An Post postal network, An post more than likely have over 100 distribution centres dotted around the country (not just 1 per county). In an area with low population it is likely their nearest postal distribution centre is the nearest town which services a few thousand people. In some areas this can even be in the next county, particularly if the people are close to a border and the nearest distribution centre is 5 miles over an imaginary line rather than 30 miles away but within the same 'county'

Careful_now!

Do any of the sat navs accept the new post codes?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Careful_now! wrote: »

Do any of the sat navs accept the new post codes?

Not yet but they say they will shortly.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

fxotoole

FizzleSticks wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

There's no requirement to use the eircodes (not yet, at least).

You can still address your post the way you always have been addressing it (i.e. without a postcode / eircode)