Cork postmistress: I’m glad I made the jump to become post mistress. I really enjoy every day

WHEN Sean Cunningham’s mother, Nora, ran Castlemartyr Post Office, her daughters, Renee and Maura, would often be awakened in the middle of the night to attend to the telephone exchange.

Who would be making calls in the middle of the night?

“One farmer might want to tell a neighbouring farmer that he was travelling to a fair at 4am that morning,” says Sean, whose wife, Geraldine, took over the post office after Sean retired in 2004.

“Back in 1972, Castlemartyr was a sorting office, and five postmen were on duty from 5.30am. We also had a shop and often early workers going to building sites would come in for the paper and cigarettes. There was no other shop open at that hour.”

Geraldine loved the regimental system in place in the post office.

“The system was great,” says Geraldine who retired from the post office seven years ago.

Geraldine and Sean live right next door to the post office where they once both worked.

“Anybody could ask anything, and you could answer it or refer them on. There were never any issues. I made great friends through working in the post office.

“People still recognise me to this day, and I love helping out Martina the odd day when she’s stuck. When I was the postmistress, I loved every day of it. There was never a day that I wanted to take off.”

Geraldine always had company in the post office.

“My dog used to come with me,” she says. “I reared him there! He liked some customers, and not others!”

The post office was always a social place.

“We never needed a newsletter!” Geraldine laughs.

The parish news was always discussed in the post office.

There were more premises other than the post office that were busy on a Friday.

“The lads used often go over to the pub in the morning after collecting their pension!” says Sean.

Martina Joyce, who is the current postmistress, says she jokes with people collecting their weekly/monthly benefit.

“I warn them to go straight home!” she says.

Castlemartyr, 30km east of Cork city, is a busy, bustling village. Main Street is always buzzing with residents, visitors and passing traffic.

“It is a busy post office,” says Martina who took over the role from Geraldine seven years ago.

“And it is great to see people using the services that the post office offers.”

Martina recalls her busiest period in the post office to date.

“I was up a mountain in Kerry in August three years ago when I got a call informing me that Midleton Post Office had burned down and Castlemartyr Post Office needed to step in to cater for the people who used it until it was up and running again at a new location.

“For six weeks, the post office here was hectic,” says Martina.

At one stage, on a Friday, the queue was down to the end of the street, at the door of the greengrocers!

But Martina and her able helper, Connie, managed to do the business.

“We did,” says Martina, who previously worked in credit control.

“I was used to working on my own which could be isolating. Now I am never on my own. My whole day is full of people.

“I love my Friday people. Sadly, we lost 20 pensioners in the last two years, and we’ve gained one.”

Martina says she sees a movement back to using cash more.

“The youngsters seem to be going back to using cash,” says Martina.

“Every tap of a bank card costs money and the banks are aware what you’re spending your money on when you use your card all the time, whether it’s coffee or pints.

“Using cash makes their purchases their own business. I think the youngsters prefer that!”

Martina had the premises renovated before she took it over.

“I remember the pressure was on to open the post office and my daughter was five days in hospital in isolation at the time.”

Thankfully, Rachel made a full recovery.

“Geraldine was really good to me,” says Martina.

“She’d come in from next door to make sure we were doing OK.

Geraldine is always available when she is needed.

“She’s my super-sub!” says Martina.

Like Geraldine, she loves the sociability of the post office.

“I get lots of stories,” she says.

Indeed, she often has a different role, that of a counsellor.

“You’d always lend a listening ear, especially when it’s quiet,” says Martina.

Is parking a problem in Castlemartyr, given the amount of passing trade through the village?

“People always seem to poke out a parking space to use the post office,” says Martina.

“Our customers come from all over east Cork, Killeagh, and other east Cork villages. 

People seem to like a stand-alone post office where there is more space and you’re not held up with people buying milk and bread for instance.

“At Christmas time there is room to wrap or seal parcels, which is good.

“Castlemartyr people are great to support their post office. I know if I closed in the morning, people would still stay in contact with me.”

People are great to support Martina.

“There’s a man who comes in to do the Lotto every week,” she says. “When I hand him the ticket. he says, ‘I think I’ll bless it!’ The same man gives me bottles of holy water from Lourdes and Knock. I must have 24 bottles of holy water at home!”

Martina gets other perks from customers.

“Another man gives me half a bar of chocolate every week!” she says.

“I think he gets a knife to cut it! I get four squares of chocolate as neat as two-pence every week! It makes my day.”

Martina herself is generous.

“Often, when I get surplus gifts, like chocolates for instance, I post them to the local nursing homes for the residents to enjoy.”

Martina enjoys helping people out. It’s part of her job satisfaction.

“Sometimes, people are not sure of their entitlements when they are making a claim,” she says.

So I try and advise them as best I can and help them to fill out the relevant forms. The outcome is important.

Martina often goes well beyond the call of duty.

“One lady came into me because she hadn’t received her expected telephone bill. The bill was never sent, and she was worried she’d be cut off. I was on the phone to eir for 25 minutes. It was after hours for me, 5.30pm, but I told the lady I’d sort if for her.”

And she did.

Martina says parcel post is on the way back too.

“It’s got more popular. An Post is interested in competing. I do lots of post for small companies.

“Banking has become a huge part of post office business. We do as much banking as social welfare.”

Martina says that the rural post office is essential.

“It is a positive place to work. If we closed, people would have to travel further afield, to Youghal or to Midleton, and perhaps have to spend a lot of time in a queue.”

Martina often has a lot of people in the queue.

“The local school teacher brings classes into the post office,” she says. “25 children arrive in to post a letter or to ask questions about the services we offer. They come on a regular basis, and they get a blue airmail sticker going away. I love them!”

The children often have something to say.

“One child piped up, ‘My mammy gets loads of money in here!’” says Martina, laughing.

There is no doubt she enjoys her role as postmistress in Castlemartyr post office.

“I’ll never get rich,” says Martina. “But I’m glad I made the jump to become post mistress. I really enjoy every day.”