Ireland question

[Squatch]

Hey, all.

I just came across a letter from a friend I knew over 20 years ago and would like to see if he's still around. The address I have for him says "Northern Ireland". Like I said, that's over 20 years old, so I was wondering if all addresses on the emerald isle are just plain "Ireland", or is the distinction still made between "Ireland" and "Northern Ireland"?

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. Well, as Northern Ireland is not a part of the Irish Republic....

:shrug:

[Squatch]

2. The address I have doesn't even have a postal code

so I want to be as accurate with the descriptive address as possible so as not to relegate my correspondence to the Irish dead letter office.

[Magrittes Pipe]

3. Um... I'm honestly not trying to sound jerkish here....

Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Ireland is a separate republic. Northern Ireland and Ireland share an island, but they are separate entities when it comes to mail -- and, well, just about everything. That's why there have been all those bombings over the past few decades.

Your letter will go to the Irish dead letter office if you send it to Ireland. Because Northern Ireland is not a part of the republic known as "Ireland." You'd have better luck sending it to the United Kingdom.

[Squatch]

4. Cool, thanks for the info

[tjwmason]

5. As others have said - Northern Ireland is a legally separate entity.

Putting 'Ireland' would probably send it to the Republic of Ireland - though I'm sure that the Royal Mail and the Irish Post-office are very used to sorting these problems.

My suggestion would be:

123, Any Road,
Anytown,
Co. Whatever,
Northern Ireland,
U.K.

If the given address is County Derry or County Londonderry use which has been given (the differing name is cause of contention). The lack of a post-code shouldn't be a problem - I've got loads of addresses where I don't know the post-code, and thus don't use one.

[Squatch]

6. Good info. Thanks for the help.

Here's the wiki entry for the "village" in which he lived:

Link

[mwooldri]

7. UK postcodes can be found at www.postoffice.co.uk -

and yes this includes Northern Ireland. tjwmason is spot on for the address format. If you have the post code, you can leave out the Northern Ireland part; it will 'just get there'.

Mark.

[REDKING]

8. Northern Ireland is the answer.....

I am from Belfast.Ireland would still get it there,but it would take longer.
Ireland forever.

[Squatch]

9. You ever hear of Cloughmills?

[REDKING]

10. Oh yeah...its in the country .

I could get you the postcode for that place if you give me a couple of minutes.

[Squatch]

11. Check your PMs...