The Simple Things

Sometimes it's the simple things about living away from Ireland that trip me up. I just filled in an application form to be sent to Ireland and the last thing on the list of necessary items was a self-addressed stamped envelope. This presented a slight problem but being busy with the more important items to arrange I didn't think much about it.

I can't send an envelope with Turkish stamps on it, so I looked for an alternative.

Could I order stamps from An Post, the Irish post office? It can't be done online, but I could print a form, post it over with the credit card details, and wait patiently for them to send my stamps over. Apart from the fact that I'd have to order a large batch of stamps, it sounded good. Except the closing date for my application may have come and gone by the time they arrived. Postage time to and from Ireland is good (most of the time) but it would too much of a risk.

International Reply Coupons sounded like they'd fit the bill. Issued by the Universal Postal Union since 1906, they can be exchanged in any member country for stamps. Perfect. I checked with An Post, and each one can be exchanged for 82 c of stamps (interestingly you can't buy IRC's in Ireland). I checked the PTT, the Turkish post office, online and they were listed for sale for about 2 tl. I asked my Mam, who has access to a franking machine, what the postage would be and worked out how many IRC's I'd need. Great I was all set.

Until I went to my local post office, who looked at me with wonder and bewilderment as I explained what an IRC was. There was an exchange of glances among the staff before they said they'd never heard of them and didn't sell them. Typical....