Glentane Post Office, Co Galway

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Glentane Post Office

In addition to being an ‘Ale House’ and Store, Glentane had provided postal services for over a century before its closure in 1916. Prior to 1840, unaffordable postage had meant that the postal service, such as it was, served only the landed classes. Perhaps in part due to the number of ‘big houses’ in the area, as well as its advantageous position on the then main Dublin to Galway road, Glentane held postal duties decades before most large towns and before the establishment of the formal postal service. Within the ‘Revenue of Ireland’ records of the Crown, details of the licences issued for ‘letting out horses to travel post in Ireland’ confirm that it was on August 20th 1806 that Glentane took on it first postal functions.

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The daring robbery of the Dublin to Galway mail-coach at Glentane in 1820 does not appear to have threatened the survival of the local postal service. In a daring raid, the army payroll and money destined for Galway banks was by taken the charismatic ‘Ribbonmen’ Michael Finlay, Charlie Langley, and their armed band. The majority of the money was never recovered! At this time, the costs and responsibilities that came with these licences were not to be taken lighty and it is not surprising that Glentane was one of only nine in the county. Among the obligations were the following:

- Every Postmaster or Inn-keeper who shall let horses to hire tor travelling post shall pay for an annual license 5 s.

- Every person hiring horses to travel post shall pay for each horse 1 d per mile or 1 s 9 d per day where the distance shall not be ascertained.

- Every person keeping a diligence post coach or carriage for carrying only four inside passengers for hire or any stage coach shall pay annually 5 s for a license and shall also pay 1 d for every mile such carriage shall travel.

- Persons letting out horses to travel post without a license are to forfeit 10 l and no person...