Longest serving postmaster in Ireland retires

FINAL DISPATCH Michael and Maureen Walsh are flanked by their two sons MicheΡl (outside left) and Padraic (outside right) and postman Ollie McGing, who collected the last bag of post that will ever leave Killawalla Post Office. Pic: Neill O’Neill

Neill O'Neill

THE emotion was palpable in the air on Friday, as the longest serving postmaster in Ireland saw off his last ever bag of letters shortly after 4pm. A sense of community togetherness cloaked the occasion at Killawalla Post Office, where Michael and Maureen Walsh, and their two sons MicheΡl and Padraic, brought the curtain of modernity down on a tradition in the village that has spanned 127 years. Rural Ireland has many challenges, of that there is no doubt, but while there are people of the calibre that gathered in such numbers to show their gratitude and share in as bittersweet and poignant a moment with a local family as this, rural Ireland has much hope also.
Walsh’s shop has been in Killawalla since 1889, and the post office since 1934, and in a small and close-knit community, that means they have made a major contribution to the social life of the area, for 127 years. The Walsh family are synonymous with life and business in Killawalla, and Michael and his brother Edward and sister Bridie all grew up working in the family’s shop and post office. Now aged in their seventies, Michael and Maureen are retiring. Their sons too, grew up in this environment, and though the Walsh’s discontinued with the shop and farm supplies aspect of the business several years ago, they continued to operate the post office from their family home, until their retirement on Friday last.
The loss of such an integral community institution will be keenly felt by local people, and so when An Post employee - local man Ollie McGing - arrived to collect the last post, the community showed up in huge numbers to be part of such a historic moment. There was some formal procedures also, as closing a post office involves the transfer of much paperwork and confidential items, as well as hard and software and inevitably some cash, but tea was drank and jokes flowed from local community leaders like SeΡn Carter and Pakie McEvilly, whose renowned family pub around the corner remains the last true old businesses in the Killawalla area. Michael Walsh too spoke of the history of Killawalla Post Office, and had tales of old neighbours and friends and from a lifetime of service to the Killawalla community, where he has spent all his years.

Community of friendship
After receiving a presentation and some words of thanks from their sons MicheΡl and Padraic, Michael and Maureen spoke briefly to the people who had descended on their home for the occasion.
“It’s been a pleasure to serve the community here for all those years. It has been a community of friendship much more than a community of customers and I want to thank everyone for their custom, friendship, loyalty, for the chats and the laughs,” said Maureen. “We have been here in their happy times and their sad times, and I hope we have been of help to them, and all I want to do is wish everybody good health and happiness for 2017 and for the years ahead. I would also like to very much remember all the folks who are gone to their maker, some years before their time, and the most person I would like to remember is Michael’s mother, Granny,” she said, with emotion creeping into her voice.
John Pat Scott of Aughagower Post Office, Chairman of the Ballina/South Mayo Branch of the Irish Postmaster’s Union, thanked the Walsh’s, describing Michael as ‘the pillar of the union’ for many years.