Postmaster ‘the nicest man you could meet’

THE pre-Christmas excitement surrounding Kilkenny on one of the year’s busiest shopping days was shattered in cruel and brutal fashion with the killing of local postmaster Alan Cunniffe, a single man in his 30s, seconds after an armed robbery yesterday afternoon.

Brightly lit Christmas decorations still shone incongruously yesterday evening outside the John’s Green post office and Cunniffe’s Centra, the businesses run by Mr Cunniffe and his family which were subjected to an armed robbery shortly after midday.

The chase which led to Mr Cunniffe suffering a fatal gun wound took place along streets barely a stone’s throw from the thronged city centre, near a normally-tranquil river walk and just around the corner from Kilkenny’s railway station.

In the aftermath of the shooting on Wolfe Tone Street, prayers were said locally for Mr Cunniffe’s safety as fought for his life in St Luke’s Hospital.

That fight came to a sad end hours later.

While the young man’s family gathered at the hospital throughout the afternoon, staff from the post office and Centra shop gathered in the closed supermarket and were visibly distraught yesterday evening as word came through that their colleague had lost his battle for life.

One man who works part-time at the post office and had finished his shift yesterday at 11am, Tom Hickey, said he was in “a state of shock” as a result of the afternoon’s events.

He said a number of attempts had been made in recent times to rob the premises.

A local woman who shops regularly in the supermarket described Mr Cunniffe as “the nicest man you could meet” and said the Cunniffes were “a lovely, lovely family”, who were well-liked and respected in the area.

Inside the Padmore and Byrne’s shoe outlet, shocked staff said they were unaware of the drama unfolding outside their premises until they went outside and saw gardaí on the footpath and road.

By then, Mr Cunniffe had already been taken to hospital.

“It’s very, very sad,” said one shop assistant.

Later in the evening, An Post chairwoman Margaret McGinley and chief executive Donal Connell issued a statement: “We are shocked and horrified by the savagery of this criminal act. Postmasters and their staff play an integral role in the lives of Irish people and their safety, and that of our customers, is at all times our primary concern.”

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell said he was horrified and deeply saddened by the incident.

“My heart goes out to the family. The fact that somebody’s life could be taken in so cruelly and cowardly a fashion beggars belief.”

John Kane, general secretary of the Irish Postmasters’ Union, was abroad when he heard of the shooting, which he described as shocking and tragic.

“We have probably been lucky that there haven’t been more incidents like this given the huge exposure we have. It heightens our belief that our members and the services they give to the public are seriously undervalued,” he said. “It seems Mr Cunniffe’s instinct was to protect his staff and his business and it’s hard to fault that.”

Labour Party communications spokesman Tommy Broughan said: “This is a shocking incident that illustrates again the vulnerability of post office workers and others who handle large sums of money on our behalf.”

As darkness fell yesterday, people continued to arrive at the Centra supermarket with empty shopping bags, intent on getting groceries but unaware of the tragic events of the afternoon.

“Closed until further notice,” read the sign on the post office. “Services available at Highstreet, Irishtown and Loughboy.”