East Cork Fastway couriers go out of their way to get parcels to customers 

Fastway went into receivership earlier this week. File Picture

Though their employer went into receivership earlier this week, some kind Fastway couriers have organised a drop-off on Saturday to ensure that at least some customers in Cork receive parcels they are waiting on.

On Wednesday, Fastway Couriers announced it would be entering receivership, leading to fears that up to 300 direct jobs will be impacted, as well as hundreds of indirect jobs.

When staff were informed of the move on Tuesday, it is understood that up to 50,000 packages were located in Fastway depots nationwide and vans awaiting delivery. The company said it had engaged with a third-party company to complete the delivery of the items, though delays in processing these parcels was expected.

However, customers waiting on packages in the Midleton, Cloyne, and Dungourney area may be able to get their awaited deliveries thanks to the efforts of a couple of kind couriers.

In a post on Facebook, an unamed Fastway driver announced that, from midday until 12.30pm on Saturday, packages that had been scheduled to be delivered this coming Tuesday will be available to be collected from the carpark of Tesco/Co-op in Midleton. 

The post was shared widely on Midleton-focused Facebook groups, as well as on pages for other areas of the county.

"Some of these parcels don’t have phone numbers, but we want to do the right thing and get them back to their owners," one of the drivers wrote.

"We’ll be in the Tesco/Co-op car park in Midleton tomorrow, 1st November, from 12:00 to 12:30pm in silver Landrover. If you or someone you know was expecting a delivery on Tuesday (status showing “parcel is on the van” that day), please come by."

Anyone hoping to collect a package should bring some form of ID.

"We also have Vinted parcels that were dropped off at Texaco Midleton. Unfortunately, Texaco didn't want to take them back on Wednesday, and with Fastway now closed, we currently have nowhere to return them," the driver added.

"If you or someone you know left a Vinted or Parcel Connect parcel at Texaco Midleton between Friday afternoon and Tuesday 4pm, please get in touch or come by tomorrow.

"You’ll need to provide some proof of ownership (parcel number, order number, etc.), as some parcels don’t have names on them.

"We truly appreciate your understanding — we’re just trying our best to return everyone’s parcels safely."