Cornafulla post office, on the main Dublin-Galway road west of Athlone, is typical of many post offices around the country. The business has been in the Harney family since 1959; both Patrick and Bridget were postmasters in their time, and their son Vincent took on the job in 1982.Read the full article on the Irish Farmers Journal website.
Vincent is also a drystock farmer and active member of IFA. The GAA is also in his blood, and he won seven Connacht Club medals and 12 Roscommon Senior County medals with Clann na nGael - a club that won 19 out of the 20 county finals it contested between 1976-96.
Along with the post office, the family have a Spar franchise, and Vincent says the two sides of the business complement each other: "I believe the post office is central to the life of the community. I'd love to see them all computerised, because every community deserves the quality of service this would bring."
He says Post Bank opens a new chapter for the network, and he reckons farmers will use it for their entitlements. "It brings banking back to 1,000 communities, many of which no longer have a traditional bank branch."
Vincent Harney says he loves his job. "I love meeting people, and there's great satisfaction in dealing with their problems and helping them fill in forms. If the post office ever closed, I don't know what I'd do in life."
New families have moved into the area around Cornafulla, and Vincent says it's great that the post office service is there for them. Added to that, he gets lots of customers from Athlone, who want to avoid the traffic and get easy access to parking.
"It's vital the post office is used, especially by people who have other options. That way we keep the service for our neighbours, who absolutely rely on it."
Find out more about the services available at Cornafulla Post Office here.
Here's some more details about the Go Local campaign...
GO Local week is a countrywide campaign, encouraging people to become more aware of the importance and value of supporting your local services. We are inviting everybody to become more actively involved in their local community.
Our churches, post offices, farmers markets, shops, GAA clubs, the pub and all other voluntary-run entities have one thing in common: they are the iron-clad links that binds communities together, preserving our community spirit. The importance of these local services in terms of social interaction, job creation and providing vital supports cannot be underestimated.
Many people forget about the true value of community spirit and local services in the hectic pace of 21st century Ireland. Yet with the current economic climate there has never been a more fitting time to go local, and support the people and services of your own locality.
Support is needed this week – and every week. A community is nothing without its people, and a person is nothing without their community. Within every community there are voluntary organisations and groups that need support and help, so whether its one hour or twenty hours per week a person has to spare, the campaign encourages them to think community and get involved. We hope that people around the country will join all of their family and friends this week to think about the valuable role they play in their locality.
Partners
- Post Offices through An Post and Postmaster’s Union
- GAA
- Church
- Local Pubs through VFI
- FBD
- Bord Bia
- Convenience Store and Newsagents Association
For more details visit www.ifacountryside.ie
