Pictures: Clonakilty post office marks 100 years in historic building

Clonakilty Post Office celebrated 100 years in its unique building last week, with an event for supportive customers and locals, also attended by local politicians.

The building was originally a Presbyterian Church, built between 1859 and 1861 on a plot of ground leased from the Earl of Shannon, and the lease was finalised on July 1, 1862, between Lord Viscount Boyle and the Reverend Edward Marcus Dill.

Members of the Presbyterian Community in the Clonakilty area included George Ronaldson, Peter Shiels, Alexander Jeffrey, and Bennett Hayes.

They had settled in the area in the 1850s but had dwindled out by the 1920s when the church was closed for worship.

Where the front public office section is now was where the congregation worshipped and today’s sorting office was used as the Sunday school. Entrance to the school was through the south door, which has been restored in recent years.

In 1924, the Department of Posts and Telegraphs conducted negotiations with the Presbyterian Church body to purchase the building as the district post office.

In July 1925, the post office was opened for business in the historic building. Up to this, the post office was in various locations throughout the town.

On December 17, 1925, the sale of the building was finalised for the sum of £1,400, and the post office has operated from the old church building ever since, one of very few post offices in the world to do so.

Cork South-West TD and minister for nature, heritage, and biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said that the unique post office, believed to be the only one of its kind with a steeple, has retained much of its original form, character, and artistic qualities, with only minor alterations. Preserving the active use of historic sites is essential to keeping them alive for future generations, Mr O’Sullivan said.

“To celebrate this historic building during Heritage Week — a building which has served this community so faithfully for more than 100 years — is what this week is all about.

“This unique and historic building not only stands as a living monument to Clonakilty’s past, it now serves us all today by ensuring postal services remain rooted in local communities.

“It’s vital we continue to invest in their upkeep so they remain part of daily life while preserving and celebrating our history and tradition.

“As soon as they go out of active use, they can deteriorate very quickly.

“It’s so important to keep beautiful structures like this church in active use.”

He added that the importance of the post office to the community was shown through the “Write to win over Might” campaign.

This was a community-led effort to stop An Post from moving the post office in 2003.