A shop in a recession-hit Border town has started accepting Irish pounds as payment for goods.
Tony Morgan has run Lipton's shop in Clones, Co Monaghan, for 20 years. With the economic downturn hitting home, he is hoping his "embrace the punt" initiative will increase footfall at the shop that sells household goods.
According to the Central Bank, £362 million is still outstanding since the introduction of the euro 10 years ago. While it is no longer legal tender, notes and coins can still be exchanged for euro at the Central Bank in Dublin.
"I want people who still have punts to know they can spend them here and they don't have to go to Dublin and we are giving a good exchange rate of €1.20," Mr Morgan said yesterday.