Joy as Cliffoney Post Office saved
CLIFFONEY Post Office in North Sligo has been saved from closure after An Post offered Postmistress Susan Finan a fresh contract last Wednesday evening.
“It was a brief meeting but it’s good news,” Susan told The Sligo Champion.
“It’s the way forward. It’s what I was looking for. I always thought we were very close population-wise (An Post wants to close Post Offices in areas of less than 500 people and Cliffoney reportedly had 492),” she said.
Susan believes that An Post decided to review their decision not to renew her contract after the community came out and campaigned and rallied to save the service.
“People power changed their minds,” she said.
Susan threw a party in the Post Office last Friday morning to celebrate the good news. Eithnas restaurant in Mullaghmore donated scones and Maureen Boyle baked cakes free of charge. The musicians also gave up their time to enhance the day: “Overall a brilliant example of a community spirit,” said Susan.
“It’s great news for Cliffoney,” said County Councillor Thomas Healy who was involved in the campaign along with Cllr Marie Casserly and Fine Gael member Thomas Walsh.
“The thing we need to put into perspective is that Cliffoney was different to Ballinfull and Gurteen Post Offices.
“She was looking for a contract to be renewed but she wasn’t offered one, whereas Gurteen and Ballinfull staff took rural retirement packages,” said Cllr Healy.
“I’m delighted they’ve reviewed it. It goes to show that if people didn’t come out and fight for Cliffoney, there would be no review, the decision would have stood.
“It goes to show what can be achieved if people come together and stand up and fight for their local community,” he said.
Cllr Healy said what concerns him is that the Government seem happy to have An Post make up rules about numbers for a Post Office to be viable: “That’s a major concern - it’ ll be school numbers and bus services next,” he said.
Cllr Healy said just because some postmasters were retiring, their post offices shouldn’t ‘retire’ as they were still viable as a businesses.
The same day, further south in Ballinfull, Postmistress Chrissy Feeney closed for good.
Cllr Marie Casserly said Minister Denis Naughten said there may be some hope for communities who have an alternative location for the post office. He urged any interested parties to make an application to the GPO in Dublin stating the case for the new location.
“I emphasised again the importance of investing in Rural Ireland and the Post Office network,” she said.