post box, Doohamlat

Cast-iron wall-mounted post box, manufactured c.1905. Rectangular moulded frame with letter aperture. Royal monogram of Edward VII, with crown motif to top. Founder's mark to base of side-hung door. Set in recent rendered pier at entrance of public house.

This post box is an example of mass-produced cast-iron work, with raised insignia enhancing the modest design of the piece. The royal cipher and crown motif are of special interest, constituting a physical reminder of the colonial era and indicating that the post-box was manufactured during the reign of Edward VII (1901-10). Many pre-Independence post boxes were simply repainted green, and so retain British royal insignia. The post box is located outside Connolly's public house, formerly Doohamlet Post Office, on the main Castleblayney to Ballybay road, north-west from Doohamlet All Saints' Catholic Church. This post box is still in regular use and remains a socially important piece of the local street furniture.