BY JACKIE KEOGH AND KIERAN O’MAHONY
AN Post services will cease at the Reenascreena branch of Lisavaird Co-op next month.
Lisavaird Co-operative manager Pat Moriarty confirmed the Reenacreena branch of the co-op is not closing down. However, An Post have advised him that the postal agency at the co-op branch will not be renewed.
Mr Moriarty is to retire, as agent and Co-op manager, in January. An Post informed him of a policy which means that as postal agents retire, post services move to the nearest post office – in this case Rosscarbery or Clonakilty.
An An Post spokesperson said Reenascreena is ‘one of the very few’ postal agencies left in the country. He said an agency has none of the services of a post office except for payments from the Department of Social Protection.
But FF candidate Pádraig O’Reilly said services in Reenascreena are vital to locals, many of whom are elderly, while Cllr Declan Hurley (Ind) said the loss ‘is another meet-and-greet service being removed from the fabric of our community’.
Cllr Deirdre Kelly (FF) said it is disappointing to see the impending removal of vital services in an extremely rural area of West Cork.’
Meanwhile, Carrigaline native Tara Murphy has secured the contract to run Crosshaven’s post office, following the retirement of Sarah McGrath on New Year’s Eve. Tara’s gran Gabrielle Mackin and mum Michelle ran Carrigaline Post Office for many years.
‘I know she’ll do a wonderful job,’ said local Cllr Jack White (FG).
