Why is outgoing mail to (and incoming mail from) Ireland so scarce? Updated!

Outgoing Mail to Ireland

Luxembourg's Allegory postal stationery from the 1880s and 1890s is quite common. This means that you can collect the Allegory stationery by destination. And over the past 50 years, that's what I've done.

One destination that has proven elusive over the years is Ireland.  And that seems strange, since mail from Luxembourg to England is often found.

Thus, for me the two cards shown below are very special.

 Relais No. 5 [Mamer]

transit Luxemburg-Gare

to Newtownforbes, 

County Longford,

Ireland

2 Jun 1889

5-centime Third Allegory Issue

Uprated

Luxembourg-Ville
to Blackrock, Ireland,

in 1894

5-centime Third Allegory Issue
Uprated

This card was sent on 23 March 1894 to the Dominican Convent at Sion Hill House in Blackrock, a suburb of Dublin.  The Dominicans had purchased the Sion Hill House in the 1830s, when they first came to Blackrock.

Incoming Mail from Ireland

Equally, or even more, challenging is incoming mail from Ireland.  I've seen none from the 19th century, and that is surprising.  

I can show only one item, a postcard sent as printed matter to Schifflange on the 7th of March, 1932.  It bears a double-ring Baile Atha Cliath [Dublin] postmark on the address side and a Dublin thimble cancel on the stamp on the view side.  The view shows Grafton Street, Dublin.  The stamp is the 2d 1930 commemorative for the opening of the Shannon River Hydroelectric Station.  The Schifflange bridge cancel is dated 9 March 1932.

Dublin, Ireland,

to Schifflange 

in 1932