Survey Data
Reg No
50030084
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Artistic, Social, Technical
Original Use
Post box
In Use As
Post box
Date
1940 - 1965
Coordinates
319992, 237949
Date Recorded
15/10/2014
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cast-iron pillar postbox on circular-plan, erected c. 1950, having shallow domed cap with moulded necking and dentillated frieze, moulded plinth, raised 'P&T' monogram in Gaelic script to door to front elevation and foundry stamp 'G.L. Murphy Ireland Ltd Gorey' to rear of plinth. Raised lettering 'An chéad bailiú eile/Next collection' to either side of projecting letter slot. Set in tarmac to side of footpath along suburban residential road.
Appraisal
This attractive piece of street furniture attests to the craftsmanship employed in mass production of cast-iron work in the mid-twentieth century. Subtle decorative detail enlivening what might have been solely a utilitarian object. Unusually, it was cast by an Irish company, whose insignia to the rear lends contextual interest to the piece. The 'P&T' monogram is executed in Gaelic script and places this postbox within a post-Independence context. This postbox constitutes a working, functional component of Dublin's postal heritage, and its survival adds visual interest and character to the streetscape.