So the day is finally here - you can now find out what your property's individual postcode is.

But how do you find it, and what does it do?

Well the first thing to do is go to www.eircode.ie and put your address in the box.

After you hit 'Search', your Eircode will come up - complete with a small map showing the location.

While there is a daily search limit of 15 addresses, the company says this is because the finder "is not for commercial use".

"When the limit is reached an alert is shown on the website," it says. However you can look up a further 15 searches the following day.

For properties where there are several business present, a drop-down menu will give you options as to which business you are looking for.

This is what the search will look like | Image: Eircode

There is also a 'Get Support' section on the site, for those who have issues.

The new service is optional and will not replace any existing lines of addresses.

The government has said the new system will provide benefits for householders, businesses and State bodies.

Parcel and mail deliveries from An Post and other delivery companies will be able to use the new system to quickly identify the location of a single house set in the countryside, or an apartment in a newly-developed multi-storey.

And emergency services will also benefit according to Martin Dunne, Director of the National Ambulance Service.

"The implementation of postcodes for every premises in Ireland represents an unprecedented opportunity for the National Ambulance Service to ensure fast and accurate location of incidents, resulting in the best possible response for our patients and service users" he said last year.

The system uses a 7-character code in an alpha numeric format, with existing Dublin postal districts being retained.

This means that anyone living in Dublin 2 will have their code starting with 'D02'.

Happy searching....