Two more Kerry Post offices axed in rural communities

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS PASSES FOR MASTERGEEHY WHILE GNEEVEGUILLA SHUTS ITS DOORS FOREVER

AN POST has confirmed the temporary closure of Mastergeehy Post Office from this Friday in what has been described as a devastating blow to the locality.

It follows a lengthy attempt to find a party to continue a postal service in the area.

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection customer payments will now be transferred to Waterville Post Office, some eight kilometres from Mastergeehy Post Office.

Mastergeehy had last autumn been named as one of 12 post offices in Kerry set to close its doors under an An Post national restructuring plan.

However, the locality was granted a major lifeline when the contract was advertised following reconsideration and a local campaign to keep a postal service in the area. The prospect of moving the service from the Gaeltacht location to non-Gaeltacht Waterville was cited as a major reason for this change of plan.

However, the January 25 deadline for applications has now passed and no party is in place to take over the service. An Post told The Kerryman that it will not re-advertise the contract – but still remains open to offers or expressions of interest in providing the service as it is still conscious that permanent closure would mean moving customers from a Gaeltacht area to a non-Gaeltacht area.

“I’m terribly disappointed,” Michael Healy-Rae told The Kerryman in response to the news.

“However, the doors may be closed, but they are not locked, and even at this very late stage, I would encourage people to come forward to An Post or one of us.” Councillor Norma Moriarty welcomed that An Post has kept the door open for a post office in the area in the future. However, she said that because of the new arrangement, it may be difficult for a post office in Mastergeehy to regain users who get into the habit of carrying out their errands in Waterville.

She also said that the costs involved in being able to provide the service are significant and played their part in the fact no party came forward.

Meanwhile, Gneeveguilla Post Office will shut its doors for the last time today (Wednesday January 30).

The nearest post office will now be Rathmore Post Office, some 6.5 kilometres away.

The closure is seen as a massive blow to the rural community, where only one shop now remains open.