European Central bankers are expected to give the euro a glowing initial report when they meet today for the first time since the successful launch of the notes and coins.
Markets and European officials declared the New Year launch of euro cash a great success on its first day of business yesterday. But the "europhoria" came with a price, with shortages of notes and coins as demand gobbled up stocks.
The new currency succeeded in its first market test, rising above the $0.90 mark in its first day of trading, up from 0.8912 on Monday.
The normal news conference at which European Central Bank (ECB) President Mr Wim Duisenberg usually explains the bank's latest monetary policy decisions has been set back by half an hour.
It will be preceded by a news conference held by Mr Duisenberg, EU Commissioner Mr Pedro Solbes and the new head of the ECOFIN council, Mr Rodrigo Rato.
The topic of that first conference is "the historic introduction of the euro banknotes and coins", and the three ECB heavyweights will present the first official data on progress of the euro changeover.
Irish shoppers were sniffing out bargains in the winter sales and getting to grips with euro cash with relative ease, although long queues formed in banks as people traded in their punts.
"It's going very smoothly - we've had no major problems," said Ms Anne O'Reagan, working behind the till in Marks and Spencer on Grafton Street. "It's taken us a bit longer because you have to get used to the coins".
AFP