It was the end on an era and a nostalgic occasion for the Ballagh community as the local Post Office closed its doors for the last time last Friday.
Mary Anglim has retired after 38 years as the local Postmistress, bringing to an end three generations of her family running the Post Office. Mary’s husband Tom’s grandmother, Ellen Quinlivan was the first member of the family to run the Post Office and she was succeeded by her daughter Cathy who in turn handed over to her daughter-in-law Mary in 1974.
A party was held last Friday to mark Mary’s last day at work and the last day of a post office in Ballagh. Pensioners and those using the postal service will now have to travel to the nearest post offices at Broadford, Newcastle West and Templeglantine.
“I will miss it for while, however I will not have to worry about having money in the house. I will certainly miss the pensioners and customers that came in every week,” Mary told the Weekly Observer.
Now that Mary has retired, she and her husband Tom will have more time to spend with their five children Mairéad, Shane, Catherine, Deirdre and Maria and their two grand children. See photographs on page 41.