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.
Irish pound. This article is about the currency of the Kingdom of Ireland, the Irish Free State, and the Republic of Ireland. For currency of Northern Ireland and of the whole of Ireland from 1826 to 1928, see Pound sterling. For the coin of the same value, see One pound (Irish coin).