To be honest, the person who said that may deserve more credit than he or she has been given.
These stamps are from the first definitive series after Ireland became a Free State. The stamps had a watermark that is an S in an Gaelic E (like our lower case e). This stood for Saorstat Eireann (Free State of Ireland).
In 1940, after it more or less considered itself a republic - the UK did not recognise that until 1948 -, Ireland dropped the S from the watermark to reflect that. Some stamps from the series are catalogued at tens of euros.
The 1d and 2d stamps exist from special coils for stamping machines - used by commercial companies to affix stamps to their mail - and stamp vending machines. These can be quite expensive. There is one 2d stamp that Roy Hamilton-Brown - editor of the Hibernian Handbook - had on offer in unmounted mint condition at the beginning of the year. It is unique and catalogued at € 20,000.
These coil stamps, however, always have two opposite sides imperforate.
So, yes, the 1d and 2d stamps can be quite valuable. Since yours have all four sides perforate, they are not those valuable varieties, but the common stamps.
More info on the stamps:
http://goscf.com/t/78697&SearchTerms=eire