Meanwhile, Matt Lavery formed the Newry Dramatic Society, appearing in or directing many productions for charity. An excellent stage-designer and impersonator, he was also popular with his humorous turns, and appeared with leading actors and singers on tour in the frontier town.

He and Felix O’Hare from Mary Street, later also Head Postman, helped to save life and property by their prompt action, when the SS `Bessbrook` went on fire at the Albert Basin, as they were passing. A stock of rockets and other explosives were removed from the vessel just in time.

When Head Postmaster John McGuigan handed over the gold watch and Imperial Service Medal on Matt Lavery’s retirement in 1930, this was just the beginning of a new career for the versatile Head Postman, whose skill as a craftsman was displayed at national exhibitions, especially inlaid woodwork. When Cardinal Lauri, Papal Legate to the Eucharistic Congress at Dublin in 1932, returned to the Vatican he proudly displayed a portrait, executed by the Newry artist.

Matt was a Golden Jubilarian of the Holy Family Confraternity and the St Vincent de Paul Society. A huge cortege attended the funeral, including the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Frank Aiken from Camlough, who had been in command of the Fourth Northern Division, Old IRA.

A contemporary was John Golding, who joined the Post Office as a messenger, and became postman for the Ballybot area, remaining in that role for almost 40 years. He was off sick for only one month! In 1902, John was appointed Head Postman, holding the post until 1922. Described as “a walking encyclopaedia,” he was an authority on many subjects, with anecdotes from the `good old days.`

Michael Norton, a native of Aileen Terrace, spent his entire working life with the Post Office, serving from 1896 to 1927. His brother Dan was also a postman.

Meanwhile, Joe McCann covered the Killeavy area, operating by horse and trap, which were stabled overnight at Frank McSorley’s yard, next to Felix Larkin’s public house in Queen (now Dominic) Street. Rising before six a.m., he would feed the horse and collect the mail from the Post Office.

Leaving the mare at Mrs Morton’s, Joe walked around the whole of Jonesboro. On Sundays, he would wait outside the chapel, and give the mail to his customers, as they emerged after Mass. One pony over-turned the trap, throwing Joe off at Bridge Street in Newry, breaking three of his ribs. He retired at the same time as John Golding and Hugh Baird.

Another well-known `postie` was John Pat Doran, who resided at Killeavy Road in Newry, and joined the Post Office as a telegram boy at the age of 13. His father had been a postman in Kilkeel for 40 years, while his brother Peter was a postal driver in Newry. John Pat operated a horse-van in the Newry district, and drove the first motor mail-van.

Once he was marooned in the Hilltown area for 24 hours. A heavy fall of snow caused the van to get bogged down, so he took two bags of mail, and started out on foot for Rathfriland, but had to abandon the journey. As a young postman, operating out of Crossmaglen, he had been held up at Culloville by armed men, who took his bicycle and uniform, leaving him tied up in a derelict house. Later, someone had come and released him.

First rider of a motorcycle sidecar combination, which supplemented the motor-van in the Newry area, John Pat Doran would cover about 35 miles each day, travelling thousands of miles in his career. Though he had a family of nine, none of his sons joined the Post Office.

Fast-forward 50 years to the 70’s and 80’s, and little had changed. The mail was still delivered from door to door, though vans had taken their place of bicycles in rural areas. But, according to Paddy Martin, Acting Postmaster, who became Branch Manager (Counters) with the changeover in 1986, the friendliness of the country people was still the same, when he became a postman.

Delivering the mail in South Armagh and the Jerrettspass area, etc, they would receive gifts of chickens, eggs, potatoes, etc., as well as the traditional pot of tea. The postman often collected the pension, newspapers and so on, performing a kind of community service. The rural people realised that the `posties` had to do their important work in all kinds of weather.

Paddy Martin, who played in the Carnbane League like his brother, Johnney, is married to Bernadette Sand from Barr. He was born at Linenhall Square, his Belfast-born father having a potato business at Canal Quay. One moment of drama occurred in 1976, as he was on counter duty at Hill Street, when a bomb was planted on the counter, exploding 20 minutes later.

Another Post Office official, Stephen McClelland, was also a part-time fireman. Son of the late Cllr Jackie McClelland, commemorated at McClelland Park, he recalled when a mortar-bomb killed nine police personnel at Newry RUC Station. He and fire chief, the late Jack Kennedy uncovered the legless body of a woman constable. And they found the arm of a policeman, blown across Edward Street.

Stephen, who is now Business Development Executive at the WIN Industrial Estate, also recalled delivering telegrams from all over the world to the home of the late Camlough hunger-striker, Raymond McCreesh, as the Royal Mail van, complete with the crown crest, was parked outside. He decided to go into the wake-house, in order to pay his respects.

Times have changed; but the invention of the telephone, mobile phone and computer, with Internet and text-messages, have not diminished the volume of letters and parcels in the post. Commercial companies find it effective in bombarding the public with `junk mail`, while the onset of the festive season has resumed the traditional sending of Christmas cards, - now who have I left out!

< Previous Page