A CARRON POSTBOX WITH BLANK INSTEAD OF LOGO MAIN STREET MAYNOOTH
This is the second such box that I have photographed the other one is on Church Street in Dublin. The blank is a location for a logo and I read somewhere that the Post Office [or An Post] purchased a few boxes without logos but I never heard why. I have been advised that there are not many to be seen.
There was a type of pillar box that does not have a logo or crest. It was known as the ‘Anonymous’ box as the royal cipher, crown and the words ‘Post Office’ had been accidentally omitted. In the UK the oversight was not corrected until 1887. This is not one of those boxes but I have seen a few [or at least I think I have].
The postbox in my photographs was manufactured by Carron in Scotland and they wereoOne of the major suppliers of letter boxes during the twentieth century. From the Mungal Foundry, near Falkirk, Stirlingshire they cast pillar boxes (from 1922), wall boxes (from 1952) and lamp boxes (from 1969 to 1982). The ironworks were first established in 1759 and became famous for its naval cannons The company became insolvent in 1982 after 223 years casting iron.
As an explanation for those of you who live outside Ireland – Following Irish independence in 1922, existing British pillar boxes and wall boxes were retained, and simply painted green. Many of these are extant around the country, retaining the monogram of the monarch who reigned at the time of the box’s installation. The Department of Posts and Telegraphs continued installing similar pillar boxes and wall boxes, but with the initials SÉ (for Saorstát Éireann), a harp or the P & T logo, instead of a monarch’s monogram. Since 1984 An Post, the current Irish postal administration, use the An Post logo to adorn their posting boxes.
