Eir has announced that its remaining payphones in Ireland are being removed, with over 100 of them being replaced with electric car chargers. 

It confirmed the 105 remaining payphone boxes will be removed over the coming months. 

At their peak, approximately 3,300 payphone boxes dotted the Irish landscape. 

As part of the removal, eir has announced 142 payphone boxes will be converted into electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. 

Some 76 rapid electric vehicle chargers have been installed.  

A futher 60 payphones have also already been turned into “information system for the local authorities services including mapping systems for visitors and locals”. 

Eleven of the remaining payphones will be turned into “digital pedestals”, according to eir, while the rest will be removed

As a tribute to the “end of the payphone era”, eir has restored a 100-year-old 'K1' kiosk, the first type of payphone box introduced in Ireland, for public exhibition later this year. 

Disused Irish telephone box now serving as a community information information display board. Image: Stephen Barnes/Ireland / Alamy Stock Photo

Eir CEO Oliver Loomes said payphones were “an important part of our lives for generations and it is fitting that to mark this”. 

“We've taken deliberate steps, in collaboration with communities and local authorities, to thoughtfully transition this legacy infrastructure,” he said. 

“Our goal has been over the past four years to find the best ways to repurpose or preserve these kiosks, directly involving the communities they serve.” 

Bringing payphones to the 'digital future'

Eir Managing Director Una Strafford said the removal of the last payphone boxes  is “a symbolic step towards a more connected, digital future”. 

“While we close this chapter in Ireland's telecommunication history, we open another, focusing on innovative solutions that align with the needs of our communities and the environment,” she said. 

“The phase-out decision was based on extensive analysis of usage patterns, with data showing a consistent decrease in demand.” 

Some 25 discontinued boxes have also been donated to community organisations for various uses, including tourism kiosks and defibrillator sites. 

The digital shift is a sad decision for some, including professional phonebox renovator Paul Murphy. 

He told Moncrieff last month that “everyone loves the old Irish phone boxes”.