Closing post office doors for the final time

The last two post offices in the county to close in the current round of An Post rationalisations – Dunsany and Tara – close their doors tomorrow.
Four post offices across Meath have closed since last August when the redundancy packages for post masters were announced - Batterstown, Bellewstown, Drumree, and Rathmolyon. A reprieve was granted for Carnaross as the family of the late postmaster decided to continue on the business there.
This Saturday, 26th January, at 1pm, Malachy Lynch in Dunsany and Mary O'Growney in Tara will close their post office doors for the last time.
In the Tara community newsletter this week, Mary O'Growney thanked all her customers for their loyalty through the years, saying for her and for them, it was much more than a post office. 
Memories that sprung to her mind included putting a call through on the old exchange for publican Mary O'Connell of Skryne when Mrs O told her of the assassination of John F Kennedy, and it was during her working day when two very upset American tourists stopped by to purchase stamps and told her they has just learned of the 9/11 tragedy.
A meeting is to be held in the RST Centre this Thursday night at 8pm to arrange a tribute to Mary O'Growney, who has been postmaster at Tara for 44 years, having taken over from her aunt, Bea Manley.
There will be an appreciation night for Malachy Lynch and his family in Dunsany GAA club on Friday 1st February at 8.30pm, when the community will get together to thank him for his role as post master for the past two decades. 

Dunsany postmaster, Malachy Lynch.

Everybody from the area served by his post office, from Galtrim and Kiltale to Dunsany and Tara, is invited to join the farewells.
Following the closure of Bellewstown Post Office, Flexibus has put in place bus services to Duleek and Stamullen on Fridays. 
Meath East TD, Thomas Byrne, said: The bus will pick up door to door. It also connects with the Drogheda and Ashbourne bus in Duleek and the Balbriggan service from Stamullen. The suggestion was made to me by post mistress, Rose Reilly before she closed her doors for the last time. I'm delighted that Flexibus worked with all of us to deliver this." 

Deputy Thomas Byrne in Bellewstown with Rose Reilly and Anne from the post office, local resident John Ludlow and Miriam McKenna and the Flexibus team.