post box

Freestanding cast-iron pillar post box, erected c.1930. Shallow domed cap with fluted rim, moulded neck, plinth and letter slot, flanked by raised lettering ‘POST OFFICE’. Maker's insignia 'A. Handyside, Derby & London', to front (south) elevation of plinth. Located on the Townsend Street footpath to south of Screen Cinema.

The survival of this pillar post box is testament to the quality of design and manufacture of mass-produced cast-ironwork in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Moulded detailing adds subtle decorative interest to what would otherwise be a solely functional object. The manufacturer, Andrew Handyside & Company of Derby, held the Post Office contract to make pillar boxes for Britain and Ireland from 1878 to 1933 (known as Derby Castings in the 1930s), and the lettering to the base lends contextual interest. Located on a site redeveloped in the late twentieth century, this is not its original location. However, it continues in daily use, and is a functional component of Dublin's heritage, adding to the character of the streetscape.