Doneraile will become the latest Post Office in Cork to close its doors permanently on Saturday week, 26th July.
The office was originally expected to close in September as An Post said at the time that they were unable to find someone to take over the location – however, that date has now been brought forward.
Customers of the Doneraile office will see their services transferred to nearby Buttevant, Mallow and Kildorrery.
This latest closure comes as the Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) has said the country’s post office network urgently needs an investment of €15 million per year over five years to secure the future of the service.
Without adequate funding, the union has claimed that the future is bleak, and the prospect of rapid, unrestrained closures is an immediate threat.
It claimed that 40% of Post Offices could close unless Government funding for the network is increased from the current annual amount of €10 million.
“The Government can secure the future of Ireland’s post office network with a strategic investment of less than €3 per citizen per year – less than the price of a cup of coffee,” stated IPU President Seán Martin.
He added: “We’re asking for a clear, long-term commitment, not just short-term support.”
Cork, has seen the most Post Office closures of any county in the country – 34 and counting – over the past ten years, with Doneraile set to add to that tally when it shuts its doors. Across Co. Limerick, meanwhile, there are currently just 43 Post Offices, all bar one of which are operated by a Postmaster. The other is run directly by An Post.