1 Pound

The Central Bank of Ireland was only established in 1943, replacing the Currency Commission that had issued Irish notes since 1928. This series, beginning in 1945, represented the first pound notes issued under the new central banking authority — though in practice the institutional change was largely administrative, and the Waterlow-printed design retained the conservative aesthetic of its predecessor series.

Three signature combinations appear across the run, tracking real personnel transitions: Joseph Brennan chaired the Bank until 1953, McElligott served as Secretary of the Department of Finance before moving to the Board, and T.K. Whitaker — later the architect of Ireland's 1958 economic development programme — appears on the final dates of issue, his signature here predating his most consequential work by months.