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Community Accolades For Newry Post Office Staff
(Part 2)


Support for the Post Office staff came in a practical form during an industrial dispute; and the chairman of the Newry Strike Committee, Willie McGivern, - a founder of the Gateway Club; later captain of Warrenpoint Golf Club, and Postmaster at Newcastle, - thanked local people for their financial assistance.

“We realise that townspeople are already suffering enough from the hardship of unemployment. However, numerous people have offered to help, and we were able to make donations to our members in need, who receive no Social Security benefits. We thank the council workers, Quinns the Milestone, trade unions, the Glasgow Celtic Supporters Club, Oliver Craven Republican Club, old age pensioners, as well as the police, who refused to handle courier mail, handled by the Post Office.”

Of course, the modern technology and facilities now available at Newry’s Head Post Office and Sorting Office are a far cry from a century ago, when business was carried on in a former tannery and leather business on Hill Street. The building was not designed to cater for a large number of people, and on market-days the atmosphere was described “unpleasant if not unhealthy.”

Newry Chamber of Commerce agitated in 1894 for a new purpose-built Head Post Office, manufactured from local granite. Four years later, the British Government agreed to a new building, following an inspection.

When the architect arrived in the frontier town, and saw the splendid stonework of the cathedral opposite, he agreed that it would be a shame to use brick in its construction.

He pointed out that there was a plentiful supply of granite in the neighbourhood, considered to be the finest in the world, winning international award, and used for some of the finest buildings in Britain.

But the decision to use granite meant that the interior of the building was almost complete, while work was just beginning on the façade. So there was an extraordinary episode, where the chairman of Newry Urban Council Dr M.J McCartan laid a nominal foundation stone, including local newspapers, records and coins, followed by celebrations in a local hotel.

Finally, Newry’s new Head Post Office, including a sorting office, was officially opened in1900, at a cost of £5,700, the first Head Postmaster being Mr Henry Wagner. Catering for a large area, it operated night and day, open until 10 pm, and from 9 am to 6 pm on Sundays. A large lamp, situated outside, was of great benefit to worshippers at the cathedral opposite, before street-lighting.

Incidentally, the Head Postmaster, Chris Ryder, who retired in 1928, was a grandfather of the journalist, author and TV pundit of the same name, who has written extensively about the RUC.

In 1961, Royal Mail embarked on a programme of modernisation at Newry’s Head Post Office. Some residents, especially the president of Newry Chamber of Commerce, WV Hogg, expressed concern that the granite façade might be replaced. In fact, the new building was constructed of concrete and steel, faced by polished granite. It was officially opened in 1963 by the chairman of Newry Urban Council, the late Tommy Markey.

Meanwhile, extensive damage was caused in 1957, when a huge fire destroyed many vehicles in the GPO maintenance garage and McComb’s coach-works at Bank Parade. The fire was so intense that the gates of the garage glowed white in the flames, which licked the walls of the nearby Town Hall.

Of course, tragedies of may kinds have affected the Post Office, such as the shipping disaster in which nine young men from the Newry area were drowned, the only survivor being Eddie McParland from Fathom, son of a local Sub Postmaster. They were on board the SS Dingle, on their way to France in 1916, when it was blown out of the water by a German mine.

Those who lost their lives were Daniel and James Toland from Home Avenue; Sean O’Hare of Derrylecka; Robert Kerr, River Street; Pat Delahunt and Michael O’Leary, Bridge Street; Edward Cunningham, Boat Street; and Sean McParland, brother of the survivor.

When the explosion occurred, the crew barely had time to launch the lifeboat, which was turned upside down, as the craft sank to the bottom. Eddie McParland and four others clung to the keel of the lifeboat in the dark, raging sea. Eddie had been at the wheel and received facial injuries, as it spun uncontrollably. Despite his injuries he clung on, and watched his colleagues disappear. Struggling for 15 hours, his knees were badly cut on the keel. Daylight brought rescue by a British torpedo boat.

Meanwhile, major tragedy was averted by an alert Post Office guard, when a goods train almost collided with a mail train near Goraghwood. The goods train was pulling three wagons, loaded with whiskey, while the mail train included a Post Office van with sorter. It came to a halt, stalling about a mile up a bank. The driver claimed that the rails were slippery, and that the engine had stopped.

The Post Office guard, Thomas Hillyard, looked out through the window and saw another train in the distance. He told the sorter to get out and sound an alarm, but he told a Public Enquiry: “I had a bundle of letters in my hand, so I waited and put them in the box, after which I jumped out and ran up the embankment.” The train guard could not be wakened, so Mr Hillyard aroused those on board.

However, his main concern was to stop the goods train. Lifting a red tail-lamp he ran down the line, waving the lamp. Meanwhile, the sorter had gone to the driver of mail-train, urging him to move. The driver claimed later that he had got the train under way before the collision. One person was killed and several were injured. The Post Office guard received the Royal Humane Society Award.

Finally, the exemplary efforts of Newry Post Office’s Community Action Group certainly put the frontier town on the map. And they set a headline for every other business, industry, trade and profession in the Newry region and elsewhere, in propagating the real message of Christmas!

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© Fabian Boyle 2001-2008