If you have set an e-mail address in your User preferences, you can send e-mail to other users and receive mail from them through the Ireland Information Guide user interface. In order to do that, visit the user's User page, and follow the "E-mail this user" link. The e-mail address you entered in your user preferences will appear as the "From" address of the mail, so the recipient will be able to reply.

Of course, users who have openly published their email addresses can be e-mailed directly. E-mailing users through Ireland Information Guide is a privacy feature that protects your email address from spam.