"?" should have come out as the Euro symbol! [Linked Image]

PS you'll VERY rarely find anything other than BS1363 known as IS 401 compatable sockets in the Republic of Ireland. Very old installations are getting rarer and rarer and used Schuko or occasionally old style british round pin plugs. Schuko or BS 546 (occasionally) outlets are sometimes used for connecting appliences that have loads larger than 13 amps.

I've noticed that the slightly lower voltage 220V (as opposed to the UK 240V) [I know they're now supposedly 230V but 220V (or slightly less) is what you tend to find at sockets here] can cause a 3KW applience to blow a 13 amp fuse. I think that's why sometimes large tumble dryers etc occasionally are wired with non-fused plugs (Schuko or BS old style) to 16 amp circuits rather than rings.