Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP ^TM)

Carlow Post Office
Carlow

48 Dublin Street. Carlow Post Office was located here for a number of years.

Carlow Post Office was located on corner of Dublin Street and Centaur Streets.

The Carlow Post Office of today (2016) in Burrin Street

Outside Carlow Post Office sometime in the 1960's. Source: It's All About Carlow

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Carlow Post Office

By J. C. Burke, Postmaster

Carloviana Vol. 1. No. 17. New Series. Dec. 1968

Pages 9 - 11

In 1878 records show that the staff of Carlow Post Office consisted of the Postmaster-who was then Richard Tennant - 5 clerks, 11 postmen and 1 messenger. Official Records in regard to the premises used as a post office before 1886 - if there were any such records-they are not available.

The General Post Office of Ireland was established by Act of Parliament in I784, and previous to then, and for many years afterwards, Postmasterships of those places where such posts were considered to be warranted were awarded by contract or, perhaps, by favour. Such officials had to provide premises, furniture, etc., and employ such staff or assistance they may need to carry out the services and make payment out of their own pockets whether or not they received a salary. Nevertheless, there must have been some profit, however small, and maybe some perquisites apart from any attraction of customers to their private business. If there is little or no record of the premises used as a post office in Carlow there is a fairly good record, even though it comes from various sources, of the holders of the position of Postmaster of Carlow.

The earliest so far traced was that in 1788 when the postmaster was William Airay. According to the "General Directory of the Kingdom of Ireland, or Merchant's and Trader's most useful Companion" Vol. II by Richard Lucas, Dublin, 1788, the post office was then located in Rutland Place.

 In I824 a school run by the Rev. John Cauldwell is listed as being in Rutland Place, and in I842 the same school is shown as Athy Street. as distinct from Athy Road, would be that section of the thoroughfare along by the Bank of Ireland to the Scot's Church; and, it may be of interest to know that the letter-box near the Bank of Ireland is at present listed officially as "Athy Street." Airay was succeeded in the historic year of 1798 by Mrs. Lydia Wall with the post office premises located at No. 4, Dublin Street. The actual location of these premises seems to pose a doubt as to whether they were at that end of the street near the Market Cross, or that near the Court Place end in the house definitely used as a post office at a later date. Mrs. Wall's assistant-Arthur Wallace, an Apothecary-was tried early in 1800 for "Robbing the Post" and embezzlement, was found guilty, and was hanged at Barrack Street on 16th August, 1800. The account of the trial of Arthur Wallace formed the subject of an article published in "Carloviana" for 1949. Mrs. Wall was succeeded by Mrs. Mary Shervington in 1824 and according to Pigott's Directory for that year, the post office was at 29 Dublin Street, and said to be near Cox's Lane, the upper portion of which then appears to have been known as Post Office Lane.

In 1839 William Armstrong became postmaster and according to the New Commercial Directory of that year the premises were situated in Burrin Street. These premises were, it is thought, what is known as Staff House, just beyond the entrance to Hanover House or Slocock's House as it was sometimes called. These premises appear to have been also used as a post office at a later date and some old inhabitant is understood to have said that all the business of the office was done "through a hole in the wall"-possibly a hatch in a  window.

Next we have in 1846 William Henderson Carey, 1872 Richard Tennant, and in 1883, Robert Swale. All those people are said to have had their premises in Burrin Street; what part cannot be certain, but it is understood that in one case the premises were on the site on which the new post office is built. Robert Swale, however, during his term of office, removed to 29 Dublin Street, to the premises now occupied by Mr. Hugh O'Donnell, solicitor, and possibly the premises which had also been occupied by Mrs. Shervington. There is a laneway from Court Place to the back of these premises and this laneway was used for access to the back entrance of the Post Office. A Lamp Bracket which carried a lamp to light the yard at the back of the office and through which the staff entered and the mails were carried is still to be seen. Robert Swale appears to have been the last Allowance of Contract Postmaster of Carlow; and, after the transfer of business to the premises at the corner of Dublin Street and Centaur Streets, he was succeeded by the first established postmaster, Mr. John O'Keeffe in 1890. Mr. O'Keeffe transferred to Killarney as Postmaster in 1896, and was succeeded by Mr. James Mitchell who transferred to Enniskillen as Postmaster in 1902.

Mr. John Murray came from Enniskillen in 1902 and retired from Carlow in 1916. In 1916 Mr. John Pierce came from Waterford and in 1922 transferred to Guernsey in the Channel Islands. In 1922 Mr. Thomas Freeman came from Curragh Camp and retiring in 1923 was succeeded by Mr. John O'Neill-who had also succeeded him in the Curragh Camp. Mr. O'Neill, who was father of Miss Dolly O'Neill at present serving on the post office staff, retired in 1938 and lived to a fine old age, dying in July 1964. Mr. Thomas P. O'Leary, who had succeeded John O'Neill at the Curragh Camp, now succeeded him at Carlow; he retired in 1948 and was succeeded by Laurence O'Neill who came from Ballinasloe. Laurence O'Neill transferred to Ennis in 1953, was succeeded by Daniel Foley from Skibbereen who transferred to Clonmel in 1955. John D. Moylan, who had been Assistant Superintendent in Kilkenny, became Postmaster of Carlow in succession to Mr. Foley and returned to Kilkenny in 1963 as Postmaster.

On 5th December 1900 The Treasury, in a letter signed by Austen Chamberlain gave authority for the expenditure required for improving the front of the office. While this work was proceeding, the Postmaster (Mr. J. Mitchell) was given permission to live away from the office. The work of improving the front of the office was completed towards the end of 1901, but this left the gable end on Centaur Street looking in a very bad way indeed, and, of course, the protests were renewed and were met with the response on 23rd April, 1902, that it had not been possible to devise a scheme for which provision could be made in the current year's estimates.

On January 2, 1902, the Postmaster made representations against being required to again reside on the official premises-he advanced a case for expansion of space for official operations, citing such developments as the introduction of 'Sounder' Telegraph working (as against A.B.C., circuits) to Tullow and later Baltinglass; the provision of telephone working-for which the necessary guarantees had been obtained-between Carlow and Ballickmoyler; and among other things he records that 2 cycles and 1 tricycle had recently been supplied to Carlow for the first time. He proposes instead a resident care-taker, who, he states "for rent-free three rooms and a payment of 4s. per week would undertake the care and entire cleaning of the office." A decision that the Postmaster must occupy the apartments was, however, taken; but Mr. Mitchell did not have to do so, as in October he was transferred to Enniskillen. His successor, Mr. Murray, who came from Enniskillen, took up residence in the official quarters.

In June 1900 a complaint was penned by Mr. E. Harrington S.C.&T., of the bad gaslight while on the night duty. He requests some improvement in the lighting system as if this is not forthcoming he proposes buying "some half-penny candles." Mr. Harrington was supported in his complaint by Mr. F. J. Gunning S.C.&T.- the Postmaster was instructed to buy new mantles. In this regard it is interesting to note that while electricity is recorded as having come to Carlow in 1892, electric lighting was not provided in the Post Office until December 1911.

Mr. Murray, however, is not long in Carlow until he meets with difficulty. Having taken up duty in October he submits - in February 1903 - a claim for medical expenses in respect of his wife's illness - diagnosed as Dyptheria - said to have been "brought on by the admittedly foul smells and bad air arising from the underground cellars of this office as certified by Doctors Colgan, O'Meara and McDonald."

The claim, of course, was met after the usual enquiries but the case again brought adverse publicity on the Post Office as the outbreak had, of course, been reported and the Medical Officer and Sanitary Authorities had to act and. report. In one report made by the Postmaster in regard to the basement kitchen - from where the obnoxious odors were said to be coming - he said "green matter is growing on the wall of the inner kitchen - in fact, I saw a frog jumping about the inner kitchen where the damp is worst and where the smell, like what would come from a churchyard vault, is sometimes very sickening." The Board of Works effected some works in the basement to abate the nuisance--one of the kitchens was eventually sealed off, but when, is not known.

In carrying out the works in the basement it was found that underneath the flags of the kitchen were found pools of stagnant water to a depth of one foot. Despite this, however, the insanitary condition of the premises again came under notice, and in connection with the incidence of sick absence among the staff.

In this regard the question was raised as to whether the Postmaster should continue to reside on the premises, but the Surveyor reported that the Postmaster was reluctant to do this mainly because he "would find it exceedingly difficult to obtain a suitable house at a moderate rent in Carlow." The Surveyor wrote "it seems to me that it would be far better for the Department to get rid of this office, which has never, in my opinion, been satisfactory, and to look out for another place." Dampness and lack of ventilation was causing most of the trouble particularly in the basement and in regard to one aspect of this it is stated that "a gutter has since ~ been constructed and the water is being caught in a bucket in the manner indicated. This seems to me a very primitive arrangement and does not properly meet the difficulty."

In mid-1904 it was noticed that the business of the office continued to grow; and, in view of the more or less static population and valuation of the town, the Surveyor, when asked for an explanation stated "The town appears to be stationary, but the townspeople are enterprising, and there is a rich surrounding district. To the latter circumstances the growth in work is to be attributed."

Early in 1909 the Urban District Council again took up the question of a new post office. The Council made representations to the Postmaster General which. were supported by Mr. Walter Kavanagh, M.P., Borris House, Borris, who also raised the matter in the House of Commons. The reply given on the 24th March, I909 was much the same as those previously given and ended "I do not think the large outlay which would be necessary to provide an entirely new building could be justified." Nevertheless, through the next few years the Urban Council lost no opportunity of pressing their case in every possible way.

In March 1909 Messrs. Roche who seemingly had moved all their business to 33 Tullow Street offered their interest in 49 Dublin Street to the Post Office, but this was rejected. In February of that year the Surveyor, because of continued expansion of business, proposed the taking over of the residential apartments, but Mr. Murray did not move else-where until the 1st November, 1910. In January 1910 a proposal for the extension of the Telephone service to Carlow was with the Treasury for the necessary authority.

Arising out of further proposals for alterations and provision of fittings a calculation of the overall cost of the Carlow Post Office was made in July 1910 and it was reported that "the cost of the office would stand at £54 per unit as compared with the present average of £89 per unit for offices of the same class."

There are no papers on Carlow Post Office existing from December 191I until January 1921 when, on the 27th of that month, the Postmaster of the time, Mr. Pierce, reported that the owner of the Post Office - Colonel MacDowell - was coming to Carlow for the purpose of disposing of his property.

The Board of Works, however, commented that "as the Treasury are at present most anxious to avoid capital expenditure the necessity for purchasing the premises does not appear to arise at present." Other considerations such as the suitability of the site; etc., influenced the Board, however, on 22nd June, 1921 in stating to the Post Office "if it were decided to proceed with the purchase your Department would appear to be justified in bidding up to, say, £1,200." The position was represented to the Post Office Secretary, London.

On 1st July, 1921, we have the final paper which closes the British files on Carlow Post Office with the intimation from the Secretary, London, to the Secretary, Dublin. "It is regretted that purchase of the Carlow Post Office premises cannot be considered at present." This is returned with the simple endorsement "The Secretary. Noted." and is signed J. G. Louthwaite, Acting Surveyor, and is dated 7th July, 1921, the day on which the truce in hostilities in Ireland came into force.

The matter of a Post Office for Carlow was not again referred to until 1925, and while the matter was represented and some questions asked in An Dail - our new parliament - it was not until 1937 that arrangements were completed for the purchase of the premises.

Nevertheless, the quest for a new post office continued and in 1937 the Department of Posts and Telegraphs acquired a site in Burrin Street.

The story thenceforward must be held for a much later time as it is a long and interesting one. Part of the site encroached on land required by the local authorities for a new main road-now Kennedy Avenue--and this led to long legal processes which involved not alone the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, but also the Department of Local Government, the Urban District Council, the County Council, and a host of private owners of land and property in the Bridewell Lane area.

All the difficulties, we can feel-even after the long delay-have been satisfactorily resolved; and the people of Carlow can be reasonably happy that they have got a beautiful boulevard; and that, in the course of a few weeks, they will have a Post Office sufficiently rewarding for all the effort which has been spent over the years in its acquisition and from which, speaking for my-self and the staff, it is hoped they will receive the same good service that has always been aimed at.

However, it would not be right or proper to skip over this period, without referring to one Trojan member of the community of the period who relentlessly pressed for the provision of the new office. This was the late Mr. W. H. Hadden. Mr. Hadden, in a very business-like way, had apparently, built up his own file on the matter; he made it a habit of getting to know the name of the official at Post Office Headquarters who would have the matter in hand, and mixing the informal with the formal when writing them there is indication that he won a great deal of regard and respect for his representations. I would have a suspicion that as a result-and even having regard for other considerations - his representations went a good way towards having the Automatic Telephone Exchange erected and brought into use in advance of the Post Office.

I think I should give his last letter to the Department which was written on December 2nd, 1960. He writes: "As I have been almost 14 years in correspondence with G.P.O. Headquarters on the matter of the Carlow Post Office I will welcome news that I may hope at least to see the work of building begun. I am in my 52nd year in business in Carlow so in the natural order of things my future days at work cannot be numerous; from my angle, therefore, the matter is one of some urgency. "Apart from the personal issue, however, there is a growing feeling that things should be happening and that great forbearance has been shown to date.

"Now that the local problems are known to be removed, Carlow is likely to become vocal concerning both the new G.P.O. building and also the Automatic Telephone Exchange. You will recall Carlow was planned to be the first of these latter. Our service has been improved, we nevertheless continue to hope for better things, and an Automatic Exchange is overdue. "My hope is that you will be in a position when writing to report favorably on the new building, and also on the Automatic 'Exchange".

 I feel that we are entitled to be hopeful, for Carlow has been most patient, and this commendable attitude should now bring its due reward." This brings my paper to an end-it can be regretted that Mr. Hadden did not see the day of fulfillment of a facility so long denied to Carlow and for which he and so many others over the long years had labored so arduously.

Source: Carloviana Vol. 1. No. 17. New Series. Dec. 1968