Limerick community urges An Post to deliver new contractor for village

THE VILLAGE of Castleconnell and the surrounding big catchment area is getting used to life without a post office for the second time this year.

It closed on Friday, October 21 “until further notice”.

Limerick Live broke the story with a spokesperson for An Post saying, “In the meantime, customers will be transferred to the post office at Newport on a temporary basis. An Post are actively working to appoint a new contractor to provide post office services in Castleconnell.”

Post office in Limerick village to close this Friday 'until further notice'

It is understood a local business person has expressed an interest in taking over the contract and talks are ongoing with An Post. However, the post office on Main Street will remain shut while these discussions take place.

The spokesperson said An Post wishes to “apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused”.

The post office in Castleconnell was already closed for a week in April of this year due to “technical issues”.

The disruption is of particular concern to the elderly who collect their pensions in Castleconnell Post Office, and those in receipt of various social welfare payments, who may not have access to transport to get to Newport.

Local politicians were quick to react with Senator Paul Gavan raising the matter in the Seanad.

“People are being asked to travel to Newport, which is 6kms away, to collect their pension or social welfare payment. This is simply not possible for a whole host of people – pensioners, people with disabilities, people who do not have access to a car and besides there is no bus to connect Castleconnell to Newport. Many people will simply have no means of collecting their payments,” he said.

As discussions on a new postmaster continue, Mr Gavan said: “In the interim we cannot have no access for the people of Castleconnell to a local post office. I am calling on all parties here to take additional steps to ensure the current service remains until a new contract is established a new service put in place.”

Councillor credits 'people power' as future of post office in Limerick village is secured

Deputy Kieran O’Donnell and Cllr Michael Murphy also want to deliver for their constituents. Mr O’Donnell said the closure will “cause a great degree of worry, anxiety and serious inconvenience to people who collect their payments at Castleconnell Post Office as well as the other range of services it offers”.

“This follows the temporary closure of this Post office last April for a week, after which people of the Castleconnell area thought the future of their post office was secure. It is critical that An Post now ensure that Castleconnell Post Office’s future is firmly made secure,” said Mr O’Donnell.

He also called for the post office to remain open in the interim period. Failing that, the TD asked that customers be facilitated to transfer to any post office of their choice until the new An Post contractor is in place.

Deputy Willie O’Dea said: “I am fully aware of how important Castleconnell Post Office is for the local community and I am working with An Post to ensure that the post office is reopened as soon as possible and I am confident this will be the case.”