post box

Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, c.1905, with crown and royal insignia of Edward VII. Moulded perimeter frame enclosing insignia over flap reading 'POST OFFICE' in raised lettering, door below in raised frame having display panel and lock. Foundry name 'W.T. ALLEN & Co. LONDON' in raised lettering at base.

A post box of a simple design, its insignia and crown a record of the Edwardian period in early twentieth-century Ireland. The foundry of W. T. Allen & Co produced post boxes from 1881-1955 for use across the United Kingdom, and the Irish ones were retained and repainted after Independence. The box has played a part in the social history of the area having been used continuously by the local community for over one hundred years. Set into the side elevation of a shop and public house at a prominent crossroads the box is an inmortant element of street furniture which adds to the historic character of the area.