Special delivery: eggs and milk with the post
An Post workers’ bid to help the vulnerable in isolation
IRELAND’S postmen and women are delivering nappies, cakes and prescriptions as well as letters and packages to help the country’s vulnerable stay in isolation.
Drogheda postman Paul Gallagher, 49, delivered the mail as usual this week on his route around Marian Park, but he also ensured pensioners and those in isolation got the essentials they need.
The father-of-two, a postman for 18 years, told the Irish Mail on Sunday he knows he may be putting himself at risk but said what gets him and every other An Post worker up in the morning is knowing there are people out their relying on them.
Paul said: ‘At the moment, we’re in an awkward position; we’re putting ourselves in danger by meeting a lot of people. The way this thing is spreading is unbelievable but we’re keeping our distance.
‘We’re doing what we always do and a lot of the lads down the country have always done this for people. We have to stick together and do what’s best. What keeps us going is knowing people are relying on us to deliver.’
Paul said the residents in Marian Park have subtle ways of indicating if they need his help. ‘If I see a window or a door open I know they want me to stick the head in,’ he said.
‘I’m on the route for 18 years, I know the little signs for me to, if there’s something wrong or if the curtains are pulled in the front sitting room I know to pop in, we have this little relationship going at the moment.’
One of the people Paul helps regularly is Jim Foran, 88, a former gardener for
Charlie Haughey who told the MoS he would be lost without Paul’s service.
On Thursday, Paul dropped off some cakes to the door and had a chat from a safe distance.
Since Jim’s wife passed away, he lives alone, with a lot of his family in Dublin so having a chat with his postman daily is an important outlet while the elderly are being asked to cocoon.
Paul said: ‘He’ll give me a shout to drop in his prescription or his paper. We have great chats together, He supports Liverpool so I mainly slag him about that. A lot of this is just standing there and having a little natter, it’s important.’
While Paul said he and his colleagues would have always dropped in essentials to anyone who needs them, the orders are changing and getting bigger.
‘At the moment, we’re delivering toilet paper, water, nappies. I even delivered a mobile commode the other day. We are delivering things we wouldn’t have delivered before. It’s only cakes, papers and milk today.’
Paul stops to have a chat with Edel Smith walking her two recently adopted dogs Doug and Dave. Edel’s old dog died so she decided to foster dogs during the lockdown but fell in love with them. She added that she would be lost without Paul calling in.
Paul works from 5.45am to 1.30pm daily and hopes to continue as long as he can.
‘We’ve all learned from the lads who worked years ago – this sort of thing is bred into us, you never mind helping your neighbours.’
‘I know the little signs if something’s wrong’