IT WAS fitting that Mary O’Brien locked her post office for the last time on the day of the General Election as you could always count on her. The postmistress served the good people of Ballylanders and surrounding areas for 33 years and nine months. The mum-of-three and grandmother-of-six said she was numb when she closed the door for the last time. “It was emotional in the weeks ahead of it because people were so kind with all their gifts, flowers, well-wishes. “The send off was beautiful with the turnout of people. When I turned the key for the last time it was surreal,” said Mary. Exactly a week into her retirement she said she is lonesome and has her weak moments. “I’m happy and sad but the time was right. I just love interacting with people and my favourite part was meeting people every day of the week. I loved it because there was no day the same. “You are a medical advisor, you are a counsellor, you name it. When I started off, the children coming in with their parents are the ones coming in now with their own children,” said Mary, who is originally from Martinstown. The qualified nurse moved to Ballylanders when husband Noel opened a garage in the Kilfinane Road. The two worked together to establish the business and she also worked part-time in the chemist. The postmistress contract came up after Rita O’Sullivan retired. Mary threw her hat in the ring and was appointed in February of 1991. Martina McCarthy joined her from the old post office and together they have been a team for a third of a century on Ballylanders’ Main Street. “We had a fantastic working relationship. We were more like sisters,” said Mary, who has three children - Caroline, James and Edel - and Noel and Mary are proud grandparents to Patrick, Eoin, Jamie, Paul, Roisin and Andrew. READ MORE: Redemptorists launch their Christmas Hamper Appeal Thankfully, they had no burglaries or robberies. “Our local guard, at the time, John Curtin was our guardian angel. Around Christmas time or bonuses or
PICTURES: Retiring Limerick postmistress delivered for her customers for 34 years
