When the shooting had finished, Mr Elliott asked his companion to “get out and phone for an ambulance.” He though that the postmaster had escaped injury and remained crouched beneath the windscreen. But Mr Elliott had been shot three times, once in the back.

Newry branch of the SDLP stated: “Any organisation which condones this crime must be condemned by the people of this area. They have robbed this community of a valiant and respected public servant, who has led the postal workers of the Newry area in the fulfilment of their duties, through difficult and even hazardous times, over the past few years. This killing must drive home the need to oppose those who perpetuate such vile crimes against fellow human beings.”

And Mr Elliott had also led the search for 31-year-old Camlough postman, Frank Kerr, who turned up unharmed at his Keggal home, three days after being kidnapped near the border. His van had been discovered at Clontygora, two miles from where he had been kidnapped. Frank’s father, also named Frank, had been a postman for 45 years, receiving the Imperial Service Medal on retirement.

A woman phoned the Newry police station to report that the missing postman, held by the Provisional IRA in South Armagh, was alive and well, and would be released the following day. When set free, Frank Kerr had walked for a while, and then been given a lift by a passing motorist. He would not say anything about his time in captivity, except that he was treated well, and was not asked any questions.

21 years later, Frank Kerr was on duty at the Newry Sorting Office at Clanrye Avenue when an IRA group, armed but unmasked and wearing Post Office uniform, arrived at the front gate. They held up the security guard, and reached the room where cash was stored. Frank Kerr refused to open the safe, grappling with an armed member of the gang. In the ensuing struggle, he was fatally wounded.

The Head Post Office at Hill Street had been the target of major bomb attacks in 1972, ‘73 and ’74. Most devastating was the first, when severe structural damage was caused. A pram had been left on the public side of the counter and a 15-minute warning given. The unattended pram was brought to the notice of counter staff by a customer, who had lifted a doll and saw a parcel underneath. Three people were injured, and stained glass windows in the cathedral blown out.

There had been some confusion about a bomb-warning in the 1973 attack, which did not specify which Post Office was the target. Soldiers “found people milling about” on Hill Street. They checked and found the device, clearing the building. Snipers opened fire on British Army technical officers and a gun-battle ensued, with people diving for cover.

In the third incident, four armed men had brushed past the security guard, left a parcel on the counter and shouted a warning. One of the customers who intervened was struck on the head with a revolver. A warning was given for no one to leave the Post Office for five minutes. About 20 minutes later, a loud explosion brought down the ceiling and blew out the windows. A wedding went ahead in the cathedral, the bridal couple and guests leaving via the vestry.

The first Post Office building in the frontier town was in the mid 19th century, when a private house was converted for the purpose. This was replaced in 1900 by premises at Marcus Square, next door to Frank Moore’s shop, then a move further up Hill Street to Lipton’s former premises. And a new Post Office was opened on the present site in 1900.

Finally in 1961, a new Head Post Office was constructed, though many people were annoyed that the original granite façade had been replaced by concrete and steel, in a programme of modernisation. It was officially opened in 1963 by the chairman of Newry Urban Council, Mr Tommy Markey, accompanied by the Head Pastmaster, Mr Hans Stevenson.

Mail had been despatched since coaches began to operate in the early 18th century between Belfast and Dublin. Newry Post Office flourished from 1824, when the Dublin and Belfast mails would arrive each morning and afternoon. Postmen had various duties, such as messages to relatives and friends in isolated communities, passing on news and information from one neighbour to another. The thick material of their trousers would protect them from attacks by `man’s best friend.`

Latest development in the history of Newry Post Office came in 1993, when a new sorting and delivery office was officially opened at Clanrye Avenue by Newry and Armagh MP, Seamus Mallon. He was accompanied by Newry Mails Manager, Billy Baines, and Northern Ireland Area Manager, Ken Robinson.

Praising the Post Office employees for their “excellent work, despite the constant threat of violence,” Mr Mallon stated: “The way in which services have continued despite dangers to staff, who have been subjected to brutal violence because they are serving the community, is a credit to them all. I hope that the community in Newry will let Royal Mail and its staff know that their efforts are appreciated."

Among the principal officers present at the ceremony was Frank Kerr, who was shot dead a year later in the same building, precisely in 1994. The IRA operation almost put the Good Friday Agreement in jeopardy. Now the Frank Kerr Peace Library at Shimna College in Newcastle is a memorial to a dedicated South Armagh post office official, and his colleagues in the Newry region!

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