Survey Data

Reg No

50020195


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Artistic, Social, Technical


Original Use

Post box


In Use As

Post box


Date

1920 - 1940


Coordinates

315762, 234060


Date Recorded

18/03/2015


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Freestanding cast-iron double post box, erected c.1930. Oval-plan having shallow domed cap with fluted cornice, moulded neck and plinth. Paired letter slots and raised lettering ‘POST OFFICE’ to frieze to neck. Raised ‘P&T’ insignia to central panel to front (north) elevation. Curved doors to side (east and west) elevations, with integrated handles. Located on footpath north of Dame Street, to south of the Central Bank.

Appraisal

This well-preserved example of an early Free State double pillar post box is prominently located on the north side of Dame Street to the south of the Central Bank, and provides an aesthetically-pleasing focal point in the plaza. Still in active use, the double design is found elsewhere in the city centre and is indicative of its high volume of use. It is a high quality example of mass-produced cast-iron work. The Celtic typeface was used by the Government for infrastructure in the early years of the Free State, and is a subtle reminder of the promotion of national identity in the decades following Independence.