Future of West Cork post office 'hangs in balance'

The post master of Goleen Post Office, Breda Buckley, was due to retire on May 31 but extended her term by a month to help a new post master to settle in. However, the candidate who had expressed interest in taking up the role has since withdrawn.

A fresh appeal is being made to people to come forward to run a west Cork post office after a setback in plans to keep it open.

The post master of Goleen Post Office, Breda Buckley, was due to retire on May 31 but extended her term by a month to help a new post master to settle in.

However, the candidate who had expressed interest in taking up the role has since withdrawn.

Dozens of locals attended a meeting in Goleen on Saturday night to discuss the latest twist in the saga to retain the post office in the village, on the Mizen peninsula.

Consideration is now being given to setting up an action group to lobby for the retention of the post office.

However, local independent TD Michael Collins said that keeping the post office open is not possible unless someone comes forward to take it on.

“It is not a viable business unfortunately,” Mr Collins said.

However, it would be great if an existing business in the locality would take it over because there would be potential extra foot-flow for them.

“We are pleading with the public out there to look at the bigger picture — in my view, it is ideal for a person who has an existing business and wants to add a little more to that business.”

Fianna Fail TD, Christopher O’Sullivan, said that everyone had built their hopes up in the local community over recent weeks.

“We have to start the campaign all over again. There was quite a lot of interest in the position when it broke first.” 

He believes an action group would help strengthen the fight to retain a post office in the village.

An Post previously said it has advertised twice for a new operator in Goleen.

Goleen Community Council took a decision at a meeting of the council on Sunday morning to write to Taoiseach Micheal Martin to ask that businesses be built around post offices, to protect the post office network in the future.

Earlier this month, a €30m bailout over three years to safeguard the future of the post office network was announced by the Government.

Under the plan, post offices could receive €12,000 a year each as a public service obligation (PSO) payment.