€2 coin commemorating the centenary of the meeting of the First Dáil launched at Mansion House

• One million special €2 coins to go into circulation this month
• Special €100 gold commemorative coin also being issued and will be available to buy on collectorcoins.ie
• Coins launched by Governor Philip. R Lane at the Mansion House

The Central Bank of Ireland will issue one million €2 coins in 2019 to commemorate the centenary of the meeting of the First Dáil in the Mansion House on 21 January 1919.

Governor Philip R. Lane launched this special €2 coin at the Mansion House today, in the presence of An Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Nial Ring, Minister Paschal Donohoe TD and Minister Regina Doherty TD.

The Central Bank is also issuing a special €100 gold coin to commemorate the meeting of the First Dáil. This coin will have an issue limit of one thousand, and which will be available to buy on collectorcoins.ie in the coming weeks. An annual mint set and proof set containing the commemorative €2 coin will also be issued later in the year.

Emmet Mullins designed both coins which contain the words ‘An Chéad Dáil’ (The First Dáil), surrounded by images of the first TDs in attendance at the landmark meeting. It was the first meeting of the Sinn Féin MPs who had been elected to the House of Commons on a platform of abstentionism and, instead of taking their seats in Westminster, chose to set up a new parliament in Dublin.

Governor Philip R. Lane, said:

“The Central Bank is honoured to be involved in the commemoration of such a momentous event in Irish history. The minting of one million €2 coins and a thousand commemorative €100 gold coins celebrate the centenary of the meeting of the First Dáil. People all over Ireland and, indeed, all over Europe should keep an eye out for this special €2 coin that will soon be going into general circulation.”

Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, said:

“Commemorative coins are an important way for us to recognise the people and events that are central to how we have developed and grown as a nation down through the years. With this coin we remember the first elected representatives of Dáil Éireann and the foundations they laid that started us on our journey to becoming the confident, inclusive, modern, outward-looking country we are today.”

This is only the second time that the Central Bank of Ireland has issued a special circulating euro coin. In 2016, the Central Bank issued 4.5 million special €2 coins to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The Central Bank also issued a €100 gold coin on that occasion, which sold out in less than 24 hours.