Series C Banknotes (Ireland)

The Series C Banknotes of the Republic of Ireland were the final series of notes created for the state before the advent of the euro; it replaced Series B Banknotes. The series gradually entered circulation from 1992 and remained in circulation until 2002.

Banknotes

The notes were commissioned by the then Central Bank of Ireland, in five denominations. The Central Bank held a limited competition in 1991 and invited nine Irish artists having decided on the theme itself previous to invitation. The designs of Robert Ballagh were chosen, and his designs were used in all the denominations to follow a unified design pattern.

The theme for this series was people who contributed to the formation of a modern Ireland, and to this effect it includes politicians, a language, literary and religious figure. The political figures do not include anyone directly associated with the Irish War of Independence, as this might have proved controversial both because of the war itself and its aftermath, the Irish Civil War. Fact|date=October 2007

These notes were notable as they incorporate a number of sophisticated features for security, and the partially sighted and blind; such features had not previously seen on banknotes in Ireland.

Five Pound

The five pound note was first issued on April 1994 and last in 2000. The front of the note features Catherine McAuley who founded the Sisters of Mercy, the background features the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. (The placing of the notes' value led to jokes about "a nun with a price on her head".) Fact|date=October 2007

The back of the note features three children in a classroom. The first verse of the Irish poem "Mise Raifteirí an File" by Antoine Ó Raifteiri is presented on the blackboard in Gaelic script. A map of Europe, without political boundaries, is at the back.

The dominant colours of the banknote are brown and blue. Its dimensions are 120.0 × 64.0 millimetres.

Ten Pound

The ten pound note was issued in September 1993 and last in 2000. The front of the note features James Joyce; the background features Dublin and Wicklow, particularly Dublin Bay.

The back of the note features one of the heads on The Custom House, Dublin by Edward Smyth. The head is one of fourteen and believed to represent the River Liffey. A nineteenth century map and part of "Finnegans Wake" also feature.

The dominant colour of the banknote is green. Its dimensions are 128.0 × 68.0 millimetres.

Twenty Pound

The twenty pound note was issued in November 1992 and last in 2000. The front of the note features a portrait of Daniel O'Connell from the nineteenth century; the background features Derrynane Abbey, County Kerry. The brick detail in the building is actually '£20' printed repeatedly. This was an added security feature that was often missed by prospective counter-feiters.

The back of the note features a pledge signed in 1845 by a number of early Irish statesmen, with the Four Courts in the background.

The dominant colour of the banknote is violet. Its dimensions are 136.0 × 72.0 millimetres.

Fifty Pound

The fifty pound note was issued in November 1995 and last in 2001. The front of the note features Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland, the background features Áras an Uachtaráin set against the interior of the base of the Ardagh Chalice.

The back of the note features a piper and the seal of Conradh na Gaeilge. An excerpt from a sixteenth century manuscript kept by the Royal Irish Academy also features.

The dominant colour of the banknote is blue. Its dimensions are 144.0 × 76.0 millimetres.

Hundred Pound

The hundred pound note was issued in September 1996 and last in 2000. The front of the note features Charles Stewart Parnell; the background depicts a view of his residence Avondale House of Rathdrum, County Wicklow. A hound also features.

The back of the note features part of the Parnell Monument, O'Connell Street, Dublin. The signature of Parnell is the one which he used in response to the Home Rule Bill.

The dominant colours of the banknote are red and green. Its dimensions are 152.0 × 80.0 millimetres.