Reflecting on a postal career well served in the community

Over 40 years of dedicated service as a postman with An Post came to a conclusion for Tom O'Brien last month when he called time on his lengthy career with the national postal service.

The Kielty resident was in reflective mode as he recalled his decades working with the company starting on July 8 1985.

"I recall playing in the 'Salthill 7s' football competition during that June bank holiday weekend and when I came home from Galway my mother had left a message for me to call into Hughie Macken as there was a job going with the post office," Tom said.

Tom was initially trained on the Clonown postal route before switching to routes on both the Leinster and Connacht sides of Athlone.

It was on these routes that Tom 'cut his teeth' in the role, delivering letters and parcels to homes and businesses in the town, and becoming a "fully fledged" postman.

"You had to become accustomed to an early start for work and I would always be in the sorting office for 6.45am looking forward to my 7am-3pm daily routine," Tom said.

The bulk of Tom's career, "approximately 25 years", was on what he now calls "Route 16", delivering mail to the communities of rural Athlone - from Moore to Rahara and the townlands within the postal area such as Clonown, Cornafulla and Clonark.

Over the years delivering mail along this route, Tom enjoyed meeting the public and having regular discussions on the "issues of the day".

"I never minded meeting people. It was actually one of the most enjoyable aspects of the job and I will miss the times spent chatting with those I met along the journey," Tom added.

When Covid-19 hit in 2020, Tom said he took on more of a role in the community, not just delivering mail, but also helping out those, particularly the elderly, who needed "errands to be done".

"You would be helping out with people's shopping needs, leaving a bag of turf at the back door, maybe dropping them in a newspaper, just making sure they didn't feel isolated," Tom stated.

While the working day "may have been extended by an hour or two", Tom said it was great to be in a position to "help out in the community" during such a "surreal time."

During his career Tom also spent six to eight months working in the SDS, An Post's parcel and courier service, which was based in Coosan.

"It was a different experience, but one I also found rewarding. I had a truck licence so I drove around the country through the night delivering bulk parcels to centres in Longford, Portlaoise, Limerick, Boyle and Sligo.

"You would also help out in the SDS centre sorting parcels before they went out for nationwide delivery," Tom stated.

From his start date in the 1980s to his finish on April 17, 2026, changes have impacted the manner in which homes and businesses receive their correspondence. The onset of e-mail may have caused a drop in letters being posted, but Tom said e-commerce has seen an increase parcels to homes and businesses.

While he never feared that he might lose his job, he was conscious that his hours of work may have been reduced. Thankfully, he said, this scenario never came to pass.

"There may have been a reduction in the volume of letters being delivered, but the public are still receiving hospital appointments by post, while there is also a lot of agriculture correspondence issued in this way," Tom said.

Traditionally, you'd associate a postman with one mode of transport, the bicycle, but Tom said the majority of postal workers delivering mail now have the use of an electric van.

Not alone did Tom build a rapport with the communities in which he delivered mail, he also developed a bond with his colleagues and will miss the "morning chats" as they sorted through the letters before departing on their respective postal routes.

A founding member of St Joseph's Football Club, Tom is also a keen cyclist and has been a member of the South Roscommon Cycling Club.

A shoulder injury has curtailed his cycling habit, but in his retirement he hopes to resume his sporting passion.

Married to Majella, they have two children David and Niamh, both of whom are married and live locally.

He has three grandchildren and is looking forward to "spending time" with them in his retirement.

Such was the esteem in which Tom was held in the communities where he worked, the students of Cornafulla National School gave him a guard of honour on his final day with An Post.

There was a public message of appreciation from the Drum community who described Tom as "one of the most popular postmen" and a "truly valued member of our local community", adding that he was "always going above and beyond and offering help and kindness to countless families over the years".

Tom thanked his former colleagues and those he served in the community for all their well wishes.

It is his time spent on "Route 16" that will resonate most when he reflects on a postal career well served.

"Regularly meeting people and finding out what was going on in their lives always gave me a reason to get into my van each day and it is those memories that I'll keep with me," Tom said.