At first, the sea was formed around 5.6 million years ago, due to a large-scale flood, but the waters were separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar, so, in the hundreds of thousands of years that followed, the water spreads dried out almost completely.
The Irish Punt was legal tender in the Republic of Ireland until 2002, when Ireland joined the Euro. This guide outlines the sources for historical exchange rates between the Irish Punt and Pound Sterling. The Irish Punt established by the Currency Act 1927 had a fixed link with Pound Sterling until March 1979.
The Irish Lotto lottery is drawn on the following days and times. The Irish Lotto was launched in April 1988 with a weekly draw on a Saturday; its original format required players to match six numbers from a choice of 36, with a minimum jackpot of IR 250,000.