Rural Tipperary post office in Newcastle to remain open after postmistress agrees to continue running it

There has been widespread welcome for the news that Newcastle post office is to remain open after the postmistress agreed to continue running it.

It is a very positive development for the community near Clonmel.

Local Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said there is significant relief and happiness at the news that the Post Office is to stay open despite previous announcements by An Post that it would cease operations on January 31st.

Deputy McGrath was speaking this evening after a public meeting on the future of the Post Office that was organised by the Newcastle Save Our Post Office Committee:

“At the outset, I want to warmly welcome this fantastic news. It is a great result for the entire community.

I also want to salute the hard work and dedication of the local Save Our Post Office Committee who never gave up despite a near total lack of engagement by management in An Post and the Independent Assessor who made the decision to formally close our Post Office in November.

I also want to acknowledge the public spirited decision of the Post Mistress Catherine McCarra to stay in place and to continue her many years of service.

This decision marks an important need for the wider community to get behind our Post Office and to embrace a real and meaningful ‘use it or lose it’ approach.

We have shown in this instance that when a community comes together to protect its services, great results can follow.

In the meantime I will continue to make every effort to have the Department of Communications and the Department of Social Protection direct as much as government support and services in to our Post Offices  as possible to in order to guarantee long term viability.

For now however, we can all celebrate this marvellous news as a significant step in our efforts to rejuvenate and revive our community,” concluded Deputy McGrath.