Blow for Drogheda as Boyne Centre Post Office to close at end of month

An Post confirmed that the post office in the shopping centre, which has been an integral part of the local community for decades, will close on Wednesday May 31st, and extra staff will be placed in the GPO in West Street, until a suitable location can be found.

A statement from An Post confirmed the move:

“The landlord of the Boyne Centre gave notice to quit to all tenants including our Postmaster earlier in the year. – to take effect in early June. Our PM assisted by ourselves has tried to source an alternative premises locally but as yet to no avail.,” said An Post spokesman Angus Laverty.

“We have advertised the vacant contract but as a short term measure must temporarily close the Boyne Centre office on May 31st next and move customers to West. We have arranged for extra staff and supports to be in place in West Street to cater for the influx of extra customers.

We will continue looking for an alternative office to serve our former Boyne centre customers with a view to restoring our service as quickly as we can”.

However, a local shop owner says he offered a new home to the post office rent-free, but nothing has happened.

"I was approached by the postmaster some months ago and met with An Post and I offered my store to house a new state of the art post office at no expense to the taxpayer, I may add I was prepared to offer this rent free,” says Dererk Moran, of Moran’s Eurospar, Bredin Street.

"I feel local people, in particular elderly and vulnerable groups will suffer in reduced service, parking and of course the two remaining post offices will have even longer queues.

"In retail, customer care is our top priority, unless you are a post office customer in Drogheda it appears”.

An Post has apologised to customers for any inconvenience, and Louth TD Ged Nash says he is assisting in locating a new premises for the service.

“I was contacted by some An Post staff in Dublin and I heard the leases are coming to a conclusion in the Boyne Centre, so the Postmaster has been looking for alternative premises,” says Deputy Nash. “I have offered to help and in the meantime, they are supplying extra staff to West Street to deal with additional demand.

"I know it will be an inconvenience for those, mainly elderly people, living in George’s Street, Patrick Street or Trinity Gardens, so hopefully we can find a suitable location soon.”