Phone box a direct line to simpler time

A telephone in Castletownshend is testament to the notion of the common good, writes Órla O’Donovan

THE West Cork village of Castletownshend, my father’s home place, still has a public phone box.

In keeping with the style of the village, it is a painted yellow and green P&T one, with the word TELEFÓN in cló gaelach illuminated at the top. More pleasing to the eye than the more recent aluminium and Perspex type, it still has almost all of the 18 small squares of glass on each its sides.