CHAS Talk: The History of the Post Office Service in Carlow

What to Expect

Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society hosts a talk on the history of the post office service in Carlow at the Seven Oaks Hotel on Monday 17 August 2026 at 8pm. The speaker is Paul Curran, public relations officer of CHAS.

The presentation traces the service through the twentieth century and builds it around the stories of the people who worked in its different roles, from counter staff and sorters to postmen on rural rounds and the telephone exchange operators of the old Posts and Telegraphs. For a great many Carlow families the P&T was the first steady public sector job in the house, and the talk is pitched at that shared memory rather than at institutional history.

The society has made a point of opening the evening to anyone who used to work for the post service, and attendees are encouraged to bring photographs or memorabilia connected to it. That turns the second half of these evenings into a collective identification session, which is usually where the best material comes out.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Monday 17 August 2026 at 8pm.
• Venue: Seven Oaks Hotel, Athy Road, Carlow.
• Open to all members of the public, including former post service staff.
• Bring any relevant photographs or memorabilia you have.
• Admission was not stated in the listing. CHAS talks are typically free to members with a small charge for non members, so bring a few euro.
• Speaker: Paul Curran, PRO of Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society.
• CHAS runs a lecture series through the autumn and winter at venues around Carlow town. This talk is programmed as part of National Heritage Week.

Getting There

The Seven Oaks Hotel is on the Athy Road on the northern side of Carlow town, a short walk or a very short drive from the town centre. Coming from Dublin, leave the M9 at junction 5 and follow signs for Carlow town; from Athy and Kildare the R417 runs directly to the door. The hotel has its own free car park on site, which is the main reason CHAS uses it for evening lectures. Carlow railway station on the Dublin Heuston to Waterford line is roughly fifteen minutes on foot. Town centre buses and coaches stop at Kennedy Avenue and Barrack Street.