Royal Mail issued on March 6 four new designs for Northern Ireland, featuring Northern Ireland's landscape, coastline and industrial heritage. This is the first pictorial regional definitive ever issued for Northern Ireland. The four new ones include three nondominated (1st, 2nd and E) stamps and one 65p stamp.

The regional definitive, specially issued for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, are first seen in 1958. From 1971 till very recent, all the regional definitives were bearing the traditional Machin design, with different regional simbols. On June 8, 1999, Royal Mail issued the first pictorial definitives for Scotland and Wales. And this time, changes are taken for Northern Ireland.

The nondenominated 2nd stamp (now sells for 19p)  shows the Giants Causeway, columns of basalt found on the northern coast of County Antrim. The columns were created from the rapid cooling of lava flows as they entered the sea.  The Giants Causeway is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site. UNESCO describes the site: "At the foot of the basaltic cliffs along the sea coast at the edge of the Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland, the Giants Causeway is made up of some 40,000 massive black columns sticking out of the sea.", "The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. The study of these formations by geologists for 300 years has greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and shown that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activities during the Tertiary Period some 50 [million] to 60 million years ago.". The stamp design based on a photograph taken by Christopher Hill.

The nondenominated 1st stamp (now sells for 27p) is based on a photograph taken by Richard Cooke capturing the image of patchwork fields.

The "E" stamp, showing a detail of a linen slipcase used to hold small personal items, represents the long and rich history of linen manufacture in Northern Ireland. Since the 15th century, Northern Ireland has been well known throughout Western Europe as a supplier of fine linen yarns. The design is based on a photograph by David Pauley. The stamp pays the rate to European countries, currently sells for 36p.

Tiff Hunter's photograph build the 65p stamp, capturing the detail of a Parian china oval basket. This type of china has been manufactured for more than 135 years at the Belleek factory. The example featured on the stamp is housed in the Ulster Museum, County Antrim. The 65p postage pays the airmail basic letter rate of 10 grams to 20 grams.

The new stamps are desihned by Rodney Millar Design Group of Belfast and printed by Walsall Security Printers by offset in sheets of 200. Each stamp measures 20.3 millimeters by 24.1mm with perforations that gauge 14.8 by 14.1.  The stamps have PVA gum . The second-class-rate stamp has one phosphor band, and the others have two.