Blacklion Post Office
As Dymphna Stewart prepares to step down as the village postmistress in Blacklion, it has been confirmed that a decision on the future of the village’s postal service is expected be finalised in the coming weeks.
News in December that Ms Stewart was to step down from her role due to the implications of Brexit came as a blow to the small Cavan community. Ms Stewart said at the time that the volume of business in the busy store-cum-post office had halved since the EU referendum last June due to fluctuations in the value of sterling. She will finish up on Tuesday next, February 14th after ten years.
A delegation from Killinagh Community Council has met with An Post to advocate for the retention of a Post Office in Blacklion. The next nearest post office services are both seven miles away with An Post in Glenfarne, Co. Leitrim or Royal Mail in Belcoo.
An Post carried out a consultation period in December and assessment is being based on network coverage needs, the level of business at the office, customer access to nearby services and the capacity of neighbouring offices to handle business if the post office closes.
Cavan-based Fianna Fail Councillor, John Paul Feeley said the delegation set out the need to maintain the postal service in Blacklion.
“We made it clear to An Post that we want them to offer the service in Blacklion for tender so that someone locally can be given the opportunity to take up the service and perhaps make their business more sustainable into the future.”
Cllr Feeley added: “Whilst setting out the need to maintain a post office service in a small village and the unique attributes of Blacklion as a border and peripheral location we were also honest in that we cannot force the continuation of the post office in Blacklion.
“As a community we cannot force someone to tender and any successful tendered has to get the support of the local community.”
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere