Final dates to post Christmas cards and presents approaching, An Post says

The final dates to post Christmas cards and presents to ensure they arrive at their destination on time is approaching, An Post has reminded customers.

The last posting day for guaranteed Christmas delivery within Ireland is Tuesday, December 21st, while those posting a card or present to Britain must do so by Monday, December 20th.

Those planning to send a Christmas card elsewhere abroad are being reminded to post it before Saturday, December 18th.

An Post is delivering between four and six million letters and parcels each day this week, as the Christmas rush gets under way.

The postal service is urging people to properly label their post, as over 30,000 packages and letters go missing within its network each year.

We have quite a lot of O’Connell Streets in Ireland

“I mean we have quite a lot of O’Connell Streets in Ireland,” said Jim O'Sullivan, manager of the National Return Letter Centre in Limerick.

“They’re not all necessarily in Dublin – we have one in Limerick, I think we have one in Ennis, there could be one in Waterford or Cork as well.

“[Customers] know in their mind that it’s O’Connell Street where they want to send it to, but if they don’t put it down on the letter it could be any one of five or six different O’Connell Streets in the country.”

Head of corporate communications at An Post, Anna McHugh, also appealed to anyone posting a gift outside of the European Union to make sure they include the correct customs declaration.

“There’s no customs fees due or VAT due on gift items if they’re under €50, that includes though the cost of posting as well. And write ‘gift’ very clearly on the item,” she said.