What Are Irish Prestige Booklets?

I'm on anpost.ie looking at the RMS Titanic stamps. The have a 0.55 and a 0.85 se-tenant pair, and then a "prestige booklet." The picture only shows the cover. Is the booklet some kind of souvenir sheet? Does it have a unique catalog number, or are the stamp simply repackaged?

The term "prestige booklet" was originally used to describe special oversized booklet issues of Great Britain that honor a specific subject. Such booklets include postage stamps on panes with large borders, as well as additional illustrations and text on pages without stamps.

Like more conventional booklets, the panes are bound into cardboard covers, though the prestige booklet covers are usually printed in color. Each British prestige booklet commemorates some event or British icon, such as the Royal Mint, Agatha Christie and the BBC.

The stamps inside are usually a variety of definitive issues using Britain's well-known sculpted portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by artist Arnold Machin (pronounced "MAY-chin"). Decorative labels are sometimes included attached to the stamps. Some British prestige booklets also include commemorative issues with designs related to the subject being celebrated.

The Ireland Prestige Booklets are the basically the same.

So, if I was going to collect Irish stamps, I would need to get the stamps and the prestige booklets in order to complete a year set?

Not necessarily.
The stamps in all GB Prestige Booklets had previously been issued in other forms [Sheet, regular booklet etc] with just one or two exceptions.
However, many of the stamps contained therein are varieties of the original and might be a different printer, perforation or Phosphor band variety. These stamps are not contained in a GB Year set but are purchased seperately, either at face [up to 2010, now Royal Mail charge for the booklet] or from a dealer without the booklet info, cover etc, but at dealers price.
My understanding is it's the same with Prestige Booklets from Ireland and other home countries too, although I have no details on actual stamps contained in the Irish Prestige Booklets.
In short, you may have to buy the booklet if you want all the varieties, but if you don't, you won't.

However, and here is the catch, if you do want the varieties [assuming there are some] then you must consider getting the varieties from other sources too[regular booklets, Special sheet/lets, etc].

Londonbus1

I'm used to multiple varieties of stamps, dealing with US definitives that have various micro prints and different printers. I think it's time to break down and buy a SG catalog for Ireland.

I might have something from the year 2009. I'll check if you are interested.

If you could check, that would be great.