Phone fight

Mayo Abbey folk to fight to save public phone

Michael Commins

THEY’LL not be putting their sweet lips a little closer to the phone in Mayo Abbey for much longer … if eircom have their way! News that the phone company are about to tell them ‘They’ll Have to Go’ is leaving local residents on the blue side of lonesome.
The people of Mayo Abbey, last year voted the most progressive rural community in the country when winning the Pride of Place national award, are expressing considerable annoyance at the news that eircom intends to remove the phone box in the village that gave the county its name.
However, following negotiations with the Community Council, and the input of Cllr Patsy O’Brien, they have agreed to leave it there for another six months to monitor its use.
Paddy Gibbons from the local Community Council says it makes no sense to remove the public phone from Mayo Abbey. “With the social housing project due to be completed this summer, taking out the phone box in six months’ time is not on at all. The public phone service will be of most benefit to the new occupants.
“Ten years ago when there was very little in Mayo Abbey, we had the post office and public phone. In 2003, when the village was alive with progress with the village enhancement scheme, the building of the resource centre and the new parochial house, childcare facilities, community bus and laundry service for the elderly came on stream.
“An Post closed the post office and gave us a post-box that won’t take an A4 solid envelope or small package. Now when there is going to be more need than ever for a public phone box, eircom announces its second attempt to remove it.”