Postal workers to honour memory of slain colleague

POST officers throughout the country will close for one hour today in memory of a slain colleague.

The funeral takes place at noon of Kilkenny postmaster Alan Cunniffe, who was shot and fatally wounded while giving chase to an armed robber last Friday.

The 31-year-old’s remains were last night removed from the Cunniffe family home to St Canice’s Church.

An Post said yesterday that all premises will close for one hour to coincide with Mr Cunniffe’s funeral Mass, while An Post staff nationwide will observe two minutes’ silence at noon.

Post offices in Kilkenny will be closed between 11am and 2pm.

Books of condolences have been opened at the main post office in Kilkenny and at the GPO in Dublin.

An Post chairwoman Margaret McGinley, chief executive Donal Connell and retail operations director John Daly attended last night’s removal.

The deceased had taken over the running of the post office at John’s Green from his mother Muriel last Wednesday — two days before he was killed.

The shooting took place shortly after midday on Friday, after Mr Cunniffe gave chase to a man who stole money from the post office. He was shot once in the stomach, 200 yards from the premises, and died four hours later at St Luke’s Hospital.

A master’s graduate in microbiology from UCC, Mr Cunniffe worked as a food scientist in Dublin before returning to Kilkenny, some years ago, to help run the family business.

Mourners today will include his twin James, brothers Declan, Thomas and Enda and sisters Anne, Muriel and Emily. His father, Tom, died two years ago.