Stamp to celebrate centenary of Irish broadcasting issued
Price of national stamp to increase by 20 cents
The first stamp of An Post’s 2026 Stamp Programme, marking 100 Years of Broadcasting, was unveiled by Patrick O'Donovan TD, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport at the GPO today.
This stamp celebrates a historic milestone in Irish cultural life and the triumphant evolution of broadcasting over the last century in Ireland. The first radio broadcasting station in the Irish Free State, 2RN, went on air on New Year’s Day 1926. Television followed on New Year’s Eve 1961 when Teilifís Éireann (later called RTÉ Television) began broadcasting.
The stamp features a striking ‘antenna’ surrounded by transmission signals radiating across the nation, by Dublin design agency Red&Grey. A limited-edition first day cover envelope is also available from anpost.com/shop with free delivery and at selected post offices from 15th January.
From its inception to its current role as the national public service media, RTÉ has remained at the heart of the story of broadcasting in Ireland. Today, RTÉ’s video, audio, and digital services, alongside the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, inform, engage and entertain a diverse global Irish community. This centenary milestone is the story of the evolution of a nation as much as it is the story of public broadcasting on our island.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, said: “When 2rn began broadcasting, this nation was only in its infancy in the first years of independence, and with limited resources, the State prioritised finding and sharing a new voice for the nation. This established, here in Ireland, a medium which to this day remains one of the most accessible and engaging forms of communication and self-expression – which is as popular today as ever with the majority of people here in Ireland still listening to radio on a daily basis. Through this medium, 2rn and RTÉ – as well as the many commercial, local and community radio services - have played an intrinsic role in the formation and sustaining of modern Irish identity, culture and even our character.
‘The 100 years of Broadcasting’ postage stamp marks the centenary of one of the most important steps in the building of a new, independent and confident nation that actively wanted to share a voice that was original and uniquely our own.”
Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue, said: “I welcome this stamp, and I recognise the excellent collaboration between An Post and RTE, which have a long history together. The first broadcast was under the auspices of the then Department of Posts and Telegraphs, where broadcasting and post were both managed. Indeed, the relationship was so close within the Department that the transmission of the radio station moved to the GPO in its early years. As well as marking the significance of 100 years of broadcasting, this stamp is also a commemoration of those close ties.”
RTÉ Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst, added: “The recognition by An Post of 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland and the special role public media continues to play in Ireland is so important, particularly at a time when we face much uncertainty and many challenges in the world. Our organisations have a significant shared history with the first public radio broadcast by the fledgling new Irish state’s on New Year’s Day 1926 being overseen by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, so the launch of a commemorative stamp by An Post is a great companion to our special RTÉ radio broadcasts from the GPO tomorrow and our programme of broadcasts and events throughout this milestone year."
RTÉ's Director of Audio, Patricia Monahan remarked: “It is great to see 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland being celebrated though a commemorative stamp by An Post as we officially launch this centenary year with a range of special broadcasts across RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, lyric fm and Raidió na Gaeltachta live from the GPO tomorrow. While our programme of broadcasts and events this year is celebratory, it is equally considered, prompting reflection and discussion on why public service media matters and why it is worth fighting for.”
David McRedmond, CEO of An Post remarked: “An Post and RTE have a shared provenance in the foundation of the State, and a home in the GPO. We congratulate our sister company on 100 years of great public service.“
An Post increases price of national stamp by 20c
An Post says is taking action to safeguard national delivery services and equal access to letter services nationwide, for uniform prices, despite more European postal companies stepping back letter services due to falling volumes and rising costs. The national stamp will increase by 20c from €1.65 to €1.85 on Tuesday 3rd February for personal customers in line with global trends and below the EU14 + Britain benchmark of €2.04 for domestic next day letter service.
A new €3.50 stamp for letters to anywhere in Europe, including Britain is being introduced, an increase of 85c. A new Rest of World stamp priced €3.95 is required to stem significant losses on this category of outgoing mail due to a 38 per cent fall in international letters over the last three years.
More than 50 per cent of outgoing international mail is destined for Britain, Germany and France which is why An Post has introduced this new Europe and Britain €3.50 rate, rather than apply the higher Rest of World rate to this category. In the UK, the equivalent European stamp costs €3.90. Rates for large envelopes, packets, over-the-counter parcels and Registered Post will also rise, as will rates for the innovative national and international Digital stamps.
The price changes are carefully calculated to cover the cost of providing a world class national letter service to every address taking account of wage increases for postal staff in line with national pay awards, increased operating costs and letter volumes which have declined by seven per cent in the last 12 months and more than 50 per cent since 2016. A similar rate of decline is forecast for 2026.
An Post is an entirely self-funded commercial business owned by the people of Ireland and providing a world class public service. The national Letter service runs on a fixed cost network which enables next-day delivery anywhere in the State for a uniform price. The cost of the network is driven by the number of homes in the State, which is increasing by 30,000+ each year, labour and other input costs, while revenue is determined by the volume of letters posted and price. As letter volumes decrease and costs rise, prices must increase to ensure that services remain sustainable.
An Post says its pricing strategy is consistent with the regulatory obligations and principles of cost-orientation, affordability and non-discrimination.
Due to falling levels of international letters, and rising costs, steep increases are necessary in the prices for sending letters of all sizes abroad. While meter post, most bulk mail rates and stamp booklets prices will increase from 3rd February, SMEs can still avail of discounts for posting parcels through the An Post Advantage Card. There will be stamp booklet promotions during the year, starting with new Love/Wedding stamps in early February.
This price increase also ensures An Post’s commitment to sustainability. In late 2025, An Post achieved, ahead of target, 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, a key milestone in its commitment to achieving net zero across the business by 2030. Electric vehicles now account for more than 50 per cent of the delivery fleet and An Post’s HGV fleet moved from diesel to hydro-treated vegetable oil in Q4 last year, reducing emissions by more than 90 per cent. Investment to date, all from An Post’s own resources, means that all deliveries and collections within Irish cities are already emission-free.
Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of An Post Mails & Parcels said: “An Post’s priority is to support the Irish economy and communities by providing world-class services for the people and businesses country wide. We work hard on the economics of the business by introducing smarter work practices and managing costs to achieve fair, cost-reflective prices below the European benchmark average, and below the UK, despite falling volumes due to e-substitution. An Post remains entirely self-financed. Our quality of service is amongst the highest in Europe and we continue to innovate in the provision of vital services for the Irish economy and local communities. I’m pleased to confirm that An Post’s Community Focus supports including free postage to all nursing and care homes will continue throughout 2026.
“Increasingly, European countries have reduced letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week and now deliver to mail boxes outside the home or to central collection points. While An Post continues to design future generation mail services to suit customers’ needs, the company is committed to retaining the option of a next-day national service to the door, by trusted, trained postal staff in a growing fleet of emission free vehicles”, he added.
Conscious of our older and vulnerable customers, An Post staff will continue to check in on customers, particularly those living alone in isolated rural areas, during spells of bad weather. The free delivery service for all letter and parcels up to 1kg posted to residents of nursing and care homes in the State will be continued. The An Post-sponsored free Carepack service, for example, has reached over 120,000 residents since 2020.
All existing stamps with ‘N’ (National) and ‘W’ (Worldwide) or specific euro denominations remain valid and fully useable after 3rd February 2026. Full details are available at: www.anpost.com/rates2026
€15 million per annum to support a sustainable nationwide Post Office network
The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue, today announced a funding package of €15 million per annum over a five-year fixed period (2026-2030) to support a sustainable, nationwide post office network.
In line with the Programme for Government, the funding will support the stability and sustainability of the nationwide network of post offices, protecting and nurturing a commercially-focused post office network and supporting access for citizens to the key social benefits of the network, helping citizens to access services effectively and equitably.
Minister O’Donovan said: “The local Post Office has played, and always will play, an integral role to both society as a whole and to Government, through the provision of high-quality public services in towns, villages and cities right across the country. This funding will secure the sustainable future of the network throughout the term of this Government, ensuring all citizens have effective and efficient access to the services and products provided through the network.”
Minister McConalogue said: “The Post Office network reaches all parts of the country, and particularly in rural Ireland, the local Post Office is a landmark and an institution in itself. This funding recognises the special role of the postmaster in this institution, with all postmaster-led offices benefitting from the funding. The new model, building on the previous Government scheme, also recognises the cultural and geographic importance of post offices, and ensures no community will be left behind.”
Government also agreed today the principles on which the funding model will operate, namely: maintaining network access across urban and rural Ireland, ensuring no community is left behind and equal access regardless of geography; aligning funding with criteria including the degree of isolation and the sustainability of each post office; ensuring a minimum revenue threshold for post offices; and recognising offices of cultural or geographic significance—such as those on inhabited islands or in Gaeltacht areas.