Restored century old post box in rural Sligo offers a glimpse to the past

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

An old postbox nestled in an old stone wall at a rural crossroads between Gurteen and Culfada that was once a hub of community life has been lovingly restored to its former glory.

John Corcoran, Chairperson of the Seefin Heritage Group explains the old post box dates back to the early years of the 20th century with a British seal of King Edward VII dating it between 1901-1910.

It is impossible to put an exact date on when the post box was erected but research carried out by the Heritage Group suggests it was one of the first in the area to bear that seal.

Originally painted ‘pillar box red’ the post box was painted ‘Saor Stát green’ after the formation of the Irish Free State in 1922 and the subsequent establishment of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. All post boxes in the country were painted green to herald the formation of the new state but the post box in Seefin is unique in that the seal of King Edward VII was never ground off the box as was the case in most across the country.

For a period the Seefin post box was a central part of everyday life as letters were dispatched to loved ones with news from home. While many of the British post boxes across the country were replaced by P&T and later An Post post boxes, the post box in Seefin survived.

The decline in the popularity of letter writing brought about by the arrival of modern forms of communication saw the Seefin post box ultimately close in 2011. While it may have marked the end of an era in the area, Mr Corcoran acknowledged the correct decision had been taken as birds were discovered nesting in it when it was officially closed.

“That was nature’s way of saying it wasn’t being used,” joked Mr Corcoran.

As the years went by the local community came together with the intention of restoring the local landmark and historical monument. Sligo County Council were approached for advice and assistance and offered funding while they were also awarded funding from the Heritage Council which enabled the post box to be lovingly restored and it is now arguably in better condition than it was a century ago.

The restoration work included shotblasting, painting and repairing with the blacksmith who worked on it commenting on the quality of the workmanship. The amount of paint that had been added to the post boxes from its original days in red to its later life in green meant the Royal seal did not stand out as much as was originally the case but now that it has been restored it is fully visible and serves as a reminder to a time of growth and transformation in the nation's history.

An eyecatching keystone has also been added while an information sign has been erected giving details of the post box’s history.

Article funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.