While this was in Ireland, it's worth specifying that Royal Mail was responsible for this wholesome delivery as it was in Northern Ireland (currently in the UK), so it's not immediately obvious that this applies to the Republic as well.

Incidentally the Republic of Ireland didn't have a nationwide postcode system until 2015.

Prior to that I used to address letters to a relative there as Name, Village, County and they were delivered! Turned out there were two people of the same name in the village but the postie saw the UK-originating stamp on the letter and ,delivered to the applicable one.

Intriguingly, the Irish Eircode system is seemingly not used for postal deliveries by An Post (the mail service).

See various contributions to the discussion here: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058233089/is-it-true-that-...

Around the same time as the Eircode was introduced, water meters were installed for every property in Ireland. They have never been used, because of public outcry over the idea of being charged for water use. Don't imitate Ireland.

An Post is one of the intended users of the EirCode system. I'm tempted to try a letter or postcard to the eircode, just to see if it gets delivered.

e.g.

  Name
  Eircode

Ireland also makes it reasonably common that you won't have a number in the address.

  Someone
  Foo House
  Town 
  Co Meath
  Ireland

Is a perfectly reasonable and somewhat common address.

It's actually quite amazing that Ireland survived without postcodes for so long.

The following format is probably the most common:

  Name
  Townland
  Co. County
  Ireland

Townlands could have 200+ people. Maybe more in some areas.

Oh definitely, my townland is at least a couple of estates, at 100+ houses each.

And then there are the creatively named estates, where the whole street name is stop words. One near me has "[number] The Avenue", "The Court", "The Close", "The Drive".

Townlands are optional, or it can be the name of a large road near you. I think there are at least 3 addresses corresponding to my house that are used by official government mail, one of the things that EirCodes were supposed to prevent.

True, heres a larger collection of North and South Postage

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/times-bizarre-i...

In Ireland any six digit eircode is unique to your address. You only have to put that on the envelope and it'll get delivered.

Eircode length is seven.

And as already mentioned - it's used by some automated sorting (I believe) but last mile delivery doesn't use it (aiui).