'My mother and father worked very hard and I never heard them complaining' - Postmistress retires after 40 years

She has been a pillar of strength and comfort in the community for the last several decades and it was an emotional moment when Postmistress and Fianna Fail Cllr Mary Bohan posted off from Drumkeeran Post Office after 40 years last month.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Mary said that she was thrilled with what was a very special goodbye, last month. "It was very emotional and there were people coming with flowers, chocolates and wine. I wasn't expecting all that. I've had so many messages from people from around the country and abroad and it was very emotional; very humbling. You really are just doing your job and you do your best; a lot of people told me that they loved to come in and have the chats - one lady said it felt like a citizens's advice bureau; you could get a form to get your road done or a form for grants."

She said that the post office was a 'community hub' in the early days with many people gathering in the office to catch up. "When I think back on the 40 years and there were so many wonderful people that came through the doors, many of whom have passed away now. You think about them in harder times; there were hard times at that time and people coped really well. They were very friendly and supportive."

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Mary continued that in a time where there was no social media, people gathered in the post office to chat and have a bit of a day out. "A lot people would have walked in from the country to collect their pensions or child benefit or whatever and everyone used the post office whereas now at least 50 per cent of people or more are doing their business online so we don't have the same interaction; we do with a certain amount of the population."

She said that Christmas was a particularly busy time for the post office and the amount of post during the festive period was "huge; you couldn't through the office with parcels and post and of course a lot of that has died away. There are very very few people who send Christmas cards now which is a shame. Many give money to a charity instead of Christmas cards which, of course, is very good too. I think those that are away in the US or Canada or Australia love to get cards."

Speaking of one particular memory she recalled how local man, Kevin O'Donnell, would drive a bus into the village with a group of locals. "He would bring in people from out the country every Friday. They would all gather in the office and have a great chat and leave from the office and go up to the shop and that was their outing. They might even go and have a drink in the village, at the time. The office was a hive of activity at that time and we had great characters coming in."

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She said that the office was a lot busier in those days than it had become recently. "It is so important to keep the post office in the community. Most small towns don't have banks anymore but a few years ago, we had two branch banks coming to Drumkeeran on a weekly basis however that all stopped. Then people went to Drumshanbo and Manorhamilton and eventually some of those banks closed as well. A lot of the business we do in the post office now is banking through AIB, Bank of Ireland and An Post Bank. That is one of the reasons I'm so pleased that the post office is staying in Drumkeeran."

Mary had just given birth to her son Shane when she took over the reins at the post office and the busy mother would serve customers with the baby in a large pram beside her. 

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She said: "It was funny because the way the office was laid out at the end of the house there were two steps down into my hallway so I couldn't get the pram down the steps and get him turned in the morning so I had to go out the front door and then into the office. I was very lucky because my mother was very active and helped out when I had council meetings; we didn't have as many meetings at that time because we hadn't as many sub-committees as we have now. My mother and my sister were very supportive to me so I was very lucky to have them. I had one of these great big prams. A lovely lady, Lavina O'Brien, asked me if I'd like the pram and I said, 'certainly'. She had reared her children in it. I had a Moses basket for Shane in the bedroom so I could put him in there away from the noise when he wanted to sleep. Aine, my daughter, spent some time behind the counter as a baby too. People loved coming in and seeing them. They were used to people from a young age so they're not shy!"

Asked where she got her strong work ethic, she responded that her parents Martin and Alice McTernan had a big role to play: "I am from a big family of nine children, five boys and four girls, and my mother and father worked very hard and I never heard them complaining and they took it all in their stride. So, I grew up with a good work ethic and that you do the best you can for everyone and take what comes. I am a people person so I enjoyed the people coming in and out and had great respect for everyone especially for the older generation and the struggles and hardships that they had but most of them always came into the shop with a smile on their face. I grew up that way; not everything is going to go right for you and when it does, that's great, and when it doesn't, you have to cope with it."

Her love of politics is also something that she inherited from her parents. "Politics was always was a big topic in our house; we grew up with that. They were very active and interested in politics; they did stand for the council at one stage. It was a busy and active house."

Mary lived in England for a year and the in Dublin for three years before returning to Drumkeeran to settle down. "I had a great sense of community and I'm so proud of my own little village because we have so many wonderful voluntary organisations and do so much work and a lot of it goes unnoticed."

The post office is to be taken over Sam in the Nearby shop in the village. "He's taking it on and will be getting training. People don't realise it's a big financial input because you are a contractor to An Post and your responsible for putting in your counter and all the expenses associated with that which can run into a considerable amount of money. I'm delighted that he is going to continue the service and it is a courageous move to take it on. I do hope people will value having a post office in the village and that they will support it. The Postmaster's Union have had a slogan for some time; it was 'use it or lose it' and most certainly in this particular case, if it's not used, it will be closed. I'm so happy the post office will continue and please God, people will support it."

Her message to those who supported her over the years was simple. "I just want to thank all the people over the last 40 years, some are gone and some are still here; to thank them most sincerely for their loyalty, their support through all good times and bad times. I was very happy to serve them and support the community as best I could. Even thought office isn't open anymore, my door is still open for everybody and I will still continue with my council work and any community work. I would also make any appeal to everyone to continue to support the post office and the other businesses in the business. We have a lovely new flower shop, a first-class butchers, the pubs the filling station, hairdressers and more. People need to support them."

She particularly thanked her daughter Aine and her son Shane for all their support over the years.