PICTURES - Carrick Telephone Exchange staff reunion planned for Leitrim

A reunion of former employees of Carrick-on-Shannon Post Office Telephone Exchange is being planned.  

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Carrick-on-Shannon Post Office Telephone Exchange closed on Thursday, 6th February, 1986 following the onset of automatic telephone exchanges all over the country with the ending of the manual exchange system at that time.

A total of 48 full time and 30 part time staff who had been fighting the closure for almost 2 years saw their jobs come to an end. The ‘10’ service would now be dealt with by Sligo Exchange. All telephonists were given the option to re-locate. Some took voluntary redundancy.The closure of the Exchange and the change-over to full automatic operation severed manual telephone operating links going back 40 years previous when the first telephonists took up duty in Carrick-on-Shannon in the 1940’s.

Three years previous to the closure, in December of 1983, 640 subscribers in the Carrick-on-Shannon area were transferred to the new automatic exchange and a further 50 in the Leitrim Village area. Minister of State at the Dept of Post and Telegraphs, Ted Nealon TD performed the official opening ceremony.

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The Carrick-on-Shannon Exchange was the biggest of its kind in the country at the time and covered an area bigger than the Sligo Exchange.

Chamber of Commerce President at the time, Mr. Tommy Phillips described the closure as “disastrous”. He said “the closure will have a major effect on the social and economic life of the town. For the business community it’s the equivalent of the loss for a medium sized factory providing regular and lucrative employment. The social consequences will be much more difficult to quantify.”

“Hotels, pubs, supermarkets, flat-owners, garages, petrol filling stations, boutiques and other business concerns in the town will be seriously affected by the departure of such a large number of people from a comparatively small community”.
A 40th reunion dinner celebration of all former telephonists, P & T, Eir, Telecom Eireann, An Post and staff of the exchange will take place in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday, February 28.

The organisers of this reunion event say all former and present staff of the above who worked in Carrick-on-Shannon are most welcome to join them on the night.

For further details on the reunion contact Attracta on 086 1704899, Geraldine 086 3218785, Damien 087 4676703. Pre-booking essential.