post box

Freestanding cast-iron pillar post box, erected c.1895. Curved door with raised cipher of Queen Victoria (VR) to front (west) elevation, moulded neck with letter slot, and shallow domed dentillated cap.

Located in a residential suburban area, this attractive piece of street furniture remains in active use. A notable example of mass-produced Victorian cast-iron work, the dentillation, royal insignia, and the small letter aperture indicate its relatively early manufacture. Pillar boxes were sited in busy areas with large volumes of post, where wall boxes would have provided insufficient capacity. This pillar box was cast by the Derby firm of Handyside & Co, and erected to serve the increased population of Harold's Cross following the construction of the Dublin Artisan's Dwelling Company houses. Mount Drummond Avenue was formerly known as Hen and Chicken Lane, indicating the rural nature of the area until the late nineteenth century.