Messages of goodwill and congratulations for retiring east Mayo postman
Messages of congratulations and goodwill poured in to Ballyhaunis Post Office in recent weeks for popular postman Michael Connolly, who delivered his last batch of mail having served the local district with some distinction for the past 44 years.
Michael, from Cussolough, Brickens, joined the staff in Ballyhaunis Post Office (P&T) in March 1981 as a telegram boy. His duty was to deliver telegrams around Ballyhaunis postal area on a bicycle. His other role was as a reserve postman, which saw him deliver mail to the houses in Upper Main Street on foot.
Michael was always thankful to the late Tom Hopkins, who knew everyone in the town and could tell Michael which house the people he was looking for lived in.
When Michael Joined P&T there were six postmen working there from Ballyhaunis: John Cleary (RIP), Dom Murphy (RIP), Paddy Fitzmaurice (RIP), Michael Lyons (RIP), Jimmy O’Malley (RIP) and Joe Byrne, with postmen in sub offices in Cloonfad, Kilkelly, Aghamore and Tooreen.
The late Paddy Brennan was postmaster in Ballyhaunis at that time. There were four clerical staff and 20 staff in the telephone exchange upstairs between day and night telephonists.
In 1983, Michael made history by being the last telegram boy in Ballyhaunis Post Office. The service was then discontinued by P&T. The last telegram he delivered was to the Connell family of Redford, Ballyhaunis.
After that, Michael was promoted to full-time postman in the Castlerea district. He covered an area from Lisalway to Castleplunkett, Bushfield, finishing in Tarmon. Then, in August 1984, Tom Folliard, the postman in Aghamore, retired and Michael was appointed to this post. He spent 41 years on this post, which brought him all around Aghamore, with some changes over the years. Michael had a great relationship with the people and there were plenty of tea houses on his daily route!
The year 1984 was also the one in which P&T changed to An Post. During his career, Michael also saw the change of the movement of mail by rail to road.
Michael was an active union member of Ballyhaunis C.W.U. branch, serving on the committee and as chairperson over the years. He also oversaw the biggest change in Ballyhaunis Post Office with the move on August 21, 2015, to a new An Post D.S.U. on Clare Road.
Michael retired on September 3 last and there was a retirement party for him on September 20 in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, with his family, work colleagues and many friends from Aghamore. Pat Kelly, manager, D.S.U., presented Michael with a Genesis Cuchulaninn bronze statue, while David Madden presented Michael with his union scroll and badge. Margaret Fannon, secretary of Aghamore Community Development Company, made a presentation to Michael on his retirement after 41 years of service as a postman in the Aghamore and Kilkelly areas.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Michael. I wish him a healthy and happy retirement,” said Joe Byrne, Johnstown, Ballyhaunis, a postman colleague of Michael in Ballyhaunis for a number of decades.