Post Office, Clare Island
[graphic]
| Main Creator: | |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | |
| In collection: | The Lawrence Photograph Collection |
| Format: | Photo |
| Published / Created: |
[between 1890-1910].
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| Subjects: | |
| Notes: | The Post Office and shop plays a vital role in the island community, supplying essential provisions and postal services. The sign reads: Post Office for money order, savings bank, parcel post & insurance and annuity business. The proprietor was Mary Byrne. Additional information about this photograph may be available on the National Library of Ireland's Flickr Commons photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/5785528119/in/photostream/ Robert French was the chief photographer responsible for photographing three quarters of the Lawrence Collection. For more information, see the Dictionary of Irish Biography: http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a3369 Physical description: 1 negative : glass ; 17 x 22 cm. Geographic Coverage: Clare Island, County Mayo, Province of Connacht, Ireland. Caption on glassplate reads: Post Office. Clare Island. 6785. W. L. more |
NLI Ref.: LROY6785
Tags:
Robert French, postal, four, standing, outdoors, work, signage, William Lawrence, Lawrence Collection, National Library of Ireland
Comments
Galway Pete
Great scene of times past.
Posted: 01.06.2011
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Obviously queueing outside a post office is not a new phenomenon, and love the straw boater and the gaiters! Very dapper gentlemen...
Posted: 02.06.2011
Christine Rose..,
Wonderful quality nice to see.
Posted: 02.06.2011
lb3595
thats my house...
Posted: 13.06.2011
Niall McAuley
The sign beyond the door says MARY BYRNE LICENSED TO SELL WINES etc.
In the 1901 census, we find Mary Byrne at 52, with daughters Teresa (postmistress, 27) and Cecelia (25), and servant Bridget McNamara (15).
Posted: 19.03.2019
Niall McAuley
By 1911 there is no sign of Teresa, Cecelia and husband James McCabe are running the post office/pub/hotel, and Mary Grady, servant, is only 14.
Posted: 19.03.2019
Niall McAuley
I think there is an excellent chance that the woman in the white blouse is either Cecelia or Teresa Byrne, and an outside chance that the girl in the apron eyeing the young man is either Bridget or Mary. The two men look very well dressed to me, and are probably visitors.
Posted: 19.03.2019
Niall McAuley
In this 2011 article about retired teacher Mary McCabe of Clare Island, we learn:
Less than two years after taking up her teaching position, she had succumbed to the attentions and charms of Clare Island publican and farmer, Bernard McCabe. Married on April 11, 1977, the couple – whose quayside home, business premises and post office was the hub of island life – would ensure that the school roll book stayed full by contributing seven children to the educational system.
So the McCabes were still post-officing on the island in 1977 at least.
Posted: 19.03.2019
Niall McAuley
Archive longshot L_CAB_07601 places this Post Office precisely where the GeoHive Cassini 6" map from the 30s has it. (the Flickr map is a bit off here)
Posted: 19.03.2019
Niall McAuley
Mary Byrne died in 1915, no help with dates.
Posted: 22.03.2021
Niall McAuley
The two visiting gents can be seen in a larger group of visitors nearby:
Posted: 22.03.2021
O Mac
@30369211@N00/ The Dillons called to Mary Byrne's but I can't figure if it was before or after Mr French. No post office signage and there's no letterbox in the window. What do you think?
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000524304
Posted: 29.09.2023
Niall McAuley
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] Good find! I think the Dillon is before the French/Lawrence, but not too long. The taller daughter (Cecelia?) looks about the same age in both.
I can't find a date for when the post office opened.
Posted: 29.09.2023
Niall McAuley
Looking for what happened to Teresa, I find this death record in 1901..
Teresa's age has jumped from 27 in the March census to 36 on the 4th December, and she is listed as Daughter of a Lightkeeper, which look like a different person, but present was James McCabe, brother in law, which matches.
And indeed, in the 1900 record of Cecelia's marriage, we see father Peter Byrne (deceased) was a lightkeeper, and James was, at the time, an RIC man.
Posted: 29.09.2023
O Mac
Niall McAuley I've just noticed that the Dillon needs to be flipped (signage is back to front)
so that window is the far window in the French. So maybe post office sign is out of shot... While the Dillon window frame is smaller you'll notice that the ope is same size as French. It's also pretty rough looking so has been replaced.. yes. Dillon is earlier that French's.
edit.... the Dillon window ope was enlarged later. Maybe Dillon was taken before Byrne's became a PO.
Posted: 29.09.2023
Niall McAuley
Next door in the Dillon catalogue is CLON2160, 4 openings in the castle wall. During French's visit he took L_ROY_06777
and the lowest opening has been bricked up. I think the Dillons were here first.
Posted: 29.09.2023
O Mac
Niall McAuley I agree... and before it was a PO... or before they got the larger PO signage
Posted: 29.09.2023
O Mac
There's another earlier wide shot in the Orpen Album seven clicks in.. hard to see if Byrne's is a PO or not. Pub sign is visible.
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000284348
Posted: 29.09.2023
