Irish hold onto €250m old money

UP to €250m in old money is still in the pockets or under the mattress of Irish citizens, the Central Bank confirmed last week.

Up to IR £7m in old currency was retrieved from banks last year but the level of old note and coins being returned has fallen sharply since the conversion to the euro in January 2002.

Most of the outstanding notes may have been destroyed, lost or held as keepsakes the bank said.