Survey Data
Reg No
40815055
Categories of Special Interest
Social, Technical
Original Use
Post box
In Use As
Post box
Date
1922 - 1950
Coordinates
234722, 432281
Date Recorded
10/09/2008
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, erected between 1924 - 46, having projecting letter slot, 'P&T' monogram in Gaelic script to head and with 'Jessop Davis, Enniscorthy’, foundry mark to base. Located adjacent to a road junction to the north-west of Buncrana town centre. Set into rendered pier at boundary of cinema (see 40815057).
Appraisal
An attractive item of street furniture that represents an early surviving artefact of mass-produced cast-iron ware. Its survival is testament to the quality of its original design and of the materials used in its manufacturing. The modest design of the box is enhanced by the raised ' P&T' motif (Department of Posts and Telegraphs) in Celtic Revival-style script and by the raised foundry mark to the base, which enliven the appearance of this otherwise functional object. The use of Old Irish lettering represents tangible, if subtle evidence of the promotion of an indigenous national identity by the newly independent state. It was cast at the Jessop Davis Foundry (c. 1890 - 1964) of Enniscorthy, County Wexford. This post box may have been moved to its present location from another site nearby. This simple piece of street furniture makes a positive contribution to the streetscape to the north-west of Buncrana town centre, and is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area.