Valentines bid farewell as closure of landmark Kildare Post Office is flagged

The end of the month will mark the end of an era, as a family business on the main Naas to Kilcullen road closes. Valentine's landmark post-office and shop on the side of the road seems to have ‘been there’. Residents from Two Mile House, Mullacash and surrounding townslands, along with passing motorists will miss the services of the little business run by Abina and Jim Valentine. There never was any parking issues, and from early morning on weekdays, the busy little shop was open to all, with banter and a bit of craic all part of the service.

For over 50 years Jim has run the Post Office, and before that, his later mother Kathleen was post-mistress from 1938-1977. When Jim married a ‘foreigner’ from West Cork, he and his young bride, Abina lived at the premises that always hosted the Post Office, albeit in the comfort of a new bungalow. Here they raised their daughter Jennifer and three sons John, Trevor and Alan, and all the while the Post Office remained opened from 7.30am on weekdays till evening time and opened for a half day on Saturdays.

“Jim’s mother moved over to the farm in ’66 but continued running the business until ’77 when we took over. Our routine is simple, we are up every day at 6am, we sort the newspapers, prepare meals for the day and open the doors by 7.30am”.

“We are well in our 70s so it was time to make a decision, one way or another, whether to retire or stay going” said Jim. “Well past our sell-by date” chuckled Abina in the background

With their son John and his wife Mary and three grandchildren living next door, and Trevor in Celbridge, they both feel it’s time to relax, slow down and start enjoying family. Daughter Jennifer lives in Sydney, Australia and son Alan in Milton Keynes, UK so after a bit of ‘time out’, the pair will likely make travel plans for the Spring.

But how much has the business changed in recent years?

“Well, turkeys and chickens were the main Christmas packages to send years ago!” laughed Abina. “Yes, and they often were brought into us live; we had to kill them and prepare them for postage. People in England loved receiving their Christmas birds and you can bet they were organic too. I wrapped them in grease proof paper, then sack cloth and with a sack needle, I stitched them up, ready for posting. We weren’t dependant on plastic in those days, you know!”

Abina and Jim noted they will miss their old clients because for many years, the older generation were dependant on the mail services to communicate with family abroad.

“Christmas was so busy” she added. “We’d lay out all the cards and letters on the kitchen table and sort them, county by county – that was the sorting office here for years.”

“Although the Post Office put the business up for tender about four weeks ago, we haven’t heard of any applications as yet which is a shame” concluded Abina.

The Kildare Post were contacted by the regular postman in the area who said “They are wonderful people, the salt of the earth and they deserve special mention for the work they’ve carried out for years, in a friendly, hospitable manner”. Indeed, our photographer Aishling went out on a mission for a photograph and stayed for apple pie and tea.

End of an era for Two Mile House but hopefully, for Abina and Jim, new beginnings and a little ‘down time’.

Photos Aishling Conway.