Last post on Main Street as Buncrana’s Post Office relocates

After more than eight decades on Main Street, a familiar face in Buncrana is preparing for a move that marks the end of an era - and the start of a new one.

The McGinley family, who have run the local post office since 1944, will officially close the doors of the town centre location at 4pm on Friday, 6 June. On Monday, 9 June, the doors will open again - but this time from a brand new unit at Kavanagh’s SuperValu on Cockhill Road.

Christian McGinley, the current postmaster, has been at the helm since 2016, following in the footsteps of his father Carl (postmaster from 1983-2016) and grandfather Charles (1944-83) before him.

Between them, the McGinleys have clocked up an astonishing 81 years of service behind the counter of Buncrana Post Office - and Christian's not done yet!

“We’ve been on the Main Street, first at Number 18 and then at Number 12, a long time, but I'm looking forward to the change,” says Christian. “It'll be all new.”

The move is partly driven by changes in how postal services are now run. The sorting office will relocate to Burnfoot as part of a wider Inishowen-wide reorganisation instigated by An Post, and the premises on Main Street has simply outgrown its use.

“The sorting is moving to Burnfoot and this building is too big to sustain, so we decided to downsize a bit and move to SuperValu,” Christian explains.

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The new location may be smaller in size, but it promises to be far more modern. With An Post’s merchandising team involved, the fresh setup boasts a new counter design, updated product displays, and even a reimagined queuing system to streamline the customer experience.

“The new counter design is class, really modern, and I’m looking forward to the move,” he says. “An Post have been up with their merchandising team and it really looks the part with the new counter, very modern and with all the new products.”

Christian’s own career in the post office began when he was just 15 years old, and over the decades he has seen the service transformed by digital technology and the e-commerce boom.

“The big shift is the switch to digital,” he says. “At a time, it was all sheets of paper, stamps and coupons taken out of a book. Now it’s all digital with service cards for customers and bar codes on the packages and letters.

“And the switch to packages is also very obvious. There's still a good bit of normal mail, but the parcels and packages side of the business is huge with all Internet shopping.

“It’s colossal the amount of packages. But An Post gives a very good service and there are minimal complaints about deliveries.”

Though the new premises inside SuperValu won’t be as large, the post office will still have the same counter staff and back-office space. Christian is confident that customers will adapt quickly and benefit from the convenience of the new location.

Meanwhile, the existing premises on Main Street won’t be left idle for long. The Inishowen Development Partnership will be moving in, bringing new energy and purpose to the heart of town.

“I'm glad that the IDP is moving in. It's a good location for them and their staff, and that’ll bring a bit of business to the street too.”

And as Buncrana’s post office embarks on this new chapter, Christian is clear about his attitude to change: “A wee change does no harm!”

He’s also keen to acknowledge those who made the move possible: “I want to thank Kavanagh’s SuperValu and builder John Grant for his work on getting the new premises kitted out. John has done an exceptional job and the Kavanagh’s have a post office background themselves and are very easy to work with.”