POST OFFICE CLOSURE A ‘NO WIN’ SITUATION

THE postmistress at Donard Post Office, which is to close next year, has said that it is ‘with great sadness’ that she had made the decision to accept an exit deal offered by An Post.

Anne Harney has been running Donard Post Office for 12-and-a-half years and said that, due to the way the deal is organised, there is no chance that the office will remain open.

‘It won’t happen due to the way it is organised. It is very sad and disappointing for me and for my customers. It is a no-win situation,’ Ms Harney said.

Following the news that An Post is seeking to downsize its operation with the closure of over 300 post offices in the next year, Donard Post Office was confirmed to be one of the earmarked outlets included on a list leaked last week.

It is envisaged that there are likely to be others from County Wicklow included in time.

‘ They looked at the last three years and, based on that, they made the offer. To remain on, you would be on a lower salary again and, perhaps in another year, it would be gone anyway and already, there are times when it is very quiet and that’s not good,’ Ms Harney said.

She said that she is saddened that the office which she has run for more than a decade will close.

‘I know all my customers, and they know me. There is a lovely community feel to it.’

She urged the community to continue to support John O’Keeffe’s shop, where the post office is based, as the closure could have an direct impact on his custom.

‘We all need to support our local shop and make sure that it can continue to operate. If we don’t we could lose another important local service,’ she said.