IT’S the end of an era for Skibbereen’s historic post office which after 200 years trading is to close with all of its services at the end of this week, moving instead to its new base of operations at Drinagh’s Eurospar.
To celebrate and mark the occasion, present and former staff gathered at the building on High Street last weekend.
Current postmaster David Jennings hosted three former postmasters, Gerard O’Brien, Adrian Healy and Mike Walsh, as well as lots of previous An Post staff, as people came to the building last Saturday for one last look.
‘It was a trip down memory lane,’ he said, ‘and an opportunity for people to have one last look around before it is gone.’
This week, on Friday April 25th, staff will be closing the door at the famous red brick building for the very last time and the finishing touches will be put to the new post office premises, before it opens at 12pm on Monday April 28th.
The iconic red brick building will no longer house the Post Office services in Skibbereen.
Records show that George Levis was appointed as the first postmaster in Skibbereen 200 years ago.
Adrian Healy, a historian and former postmaster, recalled how the closure of the old exchange in 1984 was the start of many changes to come.
Today, the postmen and women operate out of a modern building on Market Street, leaving just four people working in the building at the square since postmaster David Jennings took over last August.
Speaking with The Southern Star, David said that the post office will continue to offer a full range of services, ‘everything from foreign exchange, financial services, money transfers, mobile phone services, and National Lottery sales.
The new crew at Skibbereen Post Office are (from left to right) Caroline Collins, David Jennings, postmaster, and Karen McDermott.
‘Bill pay, pension payments, and savings have always been part of what we offer,’ he added. ‘In that regard, post offices have always been a meeting place for older people seeking a more personal connection.
‘We are pleased that our new location will be suitable for our customers, especially our older customers, who will appreciate that it is located on the flat, with lots of parking, adjacent to the GP surgery, the pharmacy, the hardware store, and the supermarket.
