An Post has confirmed that the branch in Frenchpark will close next month and customers will now have to travel to Castlerea to access services.
Concern was expressed in the village this week that the licence for the facility was not being renewed by An Post, ahead of the retirement of postmistresses Yvonne Mitchell.
An Post claims that an agreement in 2018 meant that the branch would remain open until the current postmistress decided they wished to leave the role.
In a statement to Shannonside FM, a spokesperson for An Post says any 'inconvenience caused to customers is very much regretted and they will work to ensure that the transition of services to Castlerea, and other offices, is carried out as smoothly as possible.'
Shannonside FM understands the decision by An Post has caused significant upset in the local community, with someone else in the village interested in taking it over but this will now not be possible.
The post office will close on Friday September 16th next and An Post says services will also be available at other post offices in the area including Ballaghadereen, Boyle and Fairymount.
The full statement from An Post is below:
Our Postmaster in Frenchpark, Yvonne Mitchell, wishes to exit the business and the office will close on Friday, September 16th.
Customers will in the first instance be transferred to Castlerea, some 14km away. Services will also be available at other post offices in the area including Ballaghadereen, Boyle and Fairymount. Our experience in the past has been that where post offices close services consolidated with neighbouring offices support their continued viability.
Frenchpark, like most post offices, is owned and operated by a self-employed contractor who contra with An Post to provide post office services in a given area.
Frenchpark was one of those post offices which was part agreement reached between An Post and the Irish Postmaster Union in 2018. Under the terms of the agreement offices like Frenchpark would remain open for as long as the sitting Postmaster wished to remain.
Of course any inconvenience caused to our customers is very much regretted. We will work to ensure that the transition of services to Castlerea, and other offices, is carried out as smoothly as possible.
