Residents of Sandymount woke up to a big disappointment last Easter, and it was not the Easter Bunny who did not deliver.
The local Post Office closed up shop without warning during Holy Week, leaving both the Sandymount customers and the Ringsend customers who had been relying on this office since their own service closed a number of years ago, high and dry.
Derek Murphy spoke to NewsFour on behalf of some of the customers. “The old folks have to go on a marathon now to use a post office. Some of them are on Zimmer-frames and it is a huge ordeal for them to go about their business. Those with reduced mobility need to get a bus to Barrow Street and there is nothing for them there. At least in Sandymount they could shop. They’d be better off going all the way to town at this stage. There was no warning and absolutely no consideration for the customers of the post office when this office closed.”
Angus Laverty, from Án Post updated NewsFour. “We have put out a tender for a replacement contractor to run this branch. There has been a lot of interest and we are currently examining all the proposals with the view to appointing the most appropriate application and getting Sandymount Post Office re-established as soon as possible. It was not a policy decision by Án Post and when a suitable contractor is appointed, Sandymount will have its Post Office again.”
In the meantime, it may be useful to know that there is a courtesy bus provided by RICC (Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre) to enable patrons to travel to an alternative post office. It leaves from St Patrick’s Church every Friday morning at 10.30am.
Kevin Humphreys TD has been working to ensure continuity of the Post Office service in Sandymount. He told NewsFour, “DSP payments have been transferred to Ballsbridge for those who collected payments in Sandymount until further notice.”
By Maria Shields O’Kelly
