Volume 2, Number 4
Irish Philatelic Newsletter
Volume 2, Number 4 April, 2000
A periodic publication for the members of the Éire Philatelic Association, the Irish Airmail Society, the Irish Philatelic Circle and the Forschungs-und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e.V. The newsletter will be e-mailed to all interested members.
Published and edited by Michael Connolly
Editors Note: This April issue, late as it is, will contain only one article. Stan Challis was kind enough to offer his substantial research to this newsletter. While I believe that learned treatises belong in our society journals, where they can be shared with all members, and I expect that one of our journals will pick up this article for later publication, I thought it worthwhile to give our readers an advance look.
I will get back on track and get the May issue out in the first week of May.
Dublin Town Sub Office numbers
Stan Challis
challis@guernsey.net
As collectors of registered mail will know, a major change in the system took place in October 1995 when the blue registration labels were replaced by the self adhesive bar coded ‘stickers’ now generally placed on the back of envelopes. That change was probably the biggest in the handling of registered mail since the introduction of registration labels in about 1906.
In the period to 1995 each individual office had its own pre-printed series of labels showing the office name. However Town Sub Offices, following the British system, received labels showing the name of the Head Office followed by the sub office number, thus College Green, Dublin, had a supply of labels inscribed ‘Dublin 1’, those for Ballsbridge were ‘Dublin 6’, etc. All this is now gone and thus we have the opportunity to try and piece the whole story together.
To my knowledge the only attempt to build up the series of numbers used by Dublin’s sub offices was in an article by the late Neil Langton in Irish Philately in December, 1982. I suspect that article may in fact have been written a number of years earlier.
Having recently acquired a large number of modern registered covers and with a lot of help from Brian Warren, I have built up an initial list (see below) which will, I hope, serve as a useful starting point for the creation of a definitive listing.
Column ‘A’ gives the number shown in the label
Column ‘B’ is the office name
Column ‘C’ shows a * if recorded by Langton
Column ‘D’ gives the years recorded by me (with information from others)
Column ‘E’ is I hope self explanatory
It will be seen that numbers up to 80 have generally been recorded. Thereafter the list is patchy. Some numbers will undoubtedly have been allocated to large commercial users, others perhaps for special events, and some offices open in the period 1906 to 1995 have not been recorded yet.
It should also be noted that when an office is closed and replaced by a new sub office, close by but with a different name, the sub office number moves to the new office – e.g. 29. However, in a few instances brand new offices have
been given the number of a closed, but not replaced, sub office – e.g. 9 originally Molesworth Street (closed Nov. 1954) was then used by Captain’s Road Crumlin, three miles distant, from April, 1955.
Would all recipients care to go through their own collections and see what they can add?
Best wishes
Stan Challis
Guernsey
DUBLIN TSO Numbers as appearing in Registration Labels
Initial article by Noel Langton Irish Philately Dec 1982
Office
Recorded by Langston
Dates reported/ seen
Comment
1
College Green
*
1923-51
closed 16.10.1952
1
St Andrew’s Str
*
1954-93
open 1.12.1952
2
Janes Str
*
1929-92
3
Phibsboro’
*
1923-93
4
North Wall
*
1924
closed 27.3.1975
5
Portobello Bridge
*
1947-95
6
Ballsbridge
*
c1952-93
Also used at Showyard (Dublin Horse Show) 1955; see also 180
7
Duke Str
*
1946
closed 8.2.1956
7
South Anne Str
*
1961-95
? When opened
8
Dame Str
*
1949
closed 29.6.1974
9
Molesworth Str
1911-51
closed 20.11.1954
9
Captain’s Road Crumlin
*
open 1.4.1955; closed 11.10.1972
9
Ravensdale Park
1983-93
opened 12.10.1972
10
Westmoreland Str
*
1952-74
See also 11. Closed 6.1.1975
10
Aston Quay
1980-92
Office moved from W. St 7.1.1975
10
Lower Baggot Str
1993
See also 17
11
Westmoreland Str
1916
See also 10 – this implies closure and reopening at some point?
11
Merrion Row
*
1925-70
12
Leinster Str
*
1951
open 13.12.1943; closed 7.12.1975
13
Harcourt Str
*
1955
Listed as Harcourt Rd by Langston
13
Palmerston
1993
14
Rathmines
*
1941-95
See also 103
15
Clare Str
*
1948-83
1948 – ’51’ label used with 15 inserted by hand
16
Pearse Str 23
*
1978-92
16
? Rutland Place Sorting Office
1994
Item has BAC 25 cancellation on 32p (only) franking with Rutland Place postmark on reverse. Poss POOC
17
Lower Baggot Str
*
1953-84
See also 10
18
Capel Str
*
1939
19
Upper Baggot Str
*
1922-84
20
Upper Ormond Quay
*
1942-95
21
Talbot Str
*
1923-81
Reported closed 30.4.1980
21
Amiens Str
1984
Replaced T St and did not last long
22
Harcourt Rd
*
1926-85
closed 1.2.1982
23
Aungier Str
*
1939-87
24
Ranelagh Road
1929-42
not clear if/ when office moved – see below
24
Ranelagh
*
1981-92
25
Parkgate Str
*
1978-81
26
Pearse Str 72
*
presumably the office moved and then went back to 99
26
Pearse Str 99
1976-94
27
28
Parnell Str
*
1978-92
29
Upper Clanbrassil Str
*
1942-87
also Clanbrassil Str
29
South Circular Road 107
1988-91
replaced C St
29
Leonard’s Corner
1993-94
replaced SCR (on Upper C St)
30
Lower Leeson Str
*
1985-89
31
Thomas Str
*
1976-87
closed early 1990’s
32
Rathgar
*
1976-86
33
Upper Leeson Str
*
1925-78
closed 29.2.1980
34
Lower Mount Str
*
1940-66
closed 16.7.1974
35
Granby Row
*
1940-86
believed closed c1998
36
Manor Str
*
1941-90
37
Camden Str
*
1976-86
37
Sraid Mhic Thaidgh
1995
Where is this?
38
Gardiner’s Row
*
39
Fairview
*
1976-92
See also 134
40
Upper Kevin Str
*
1947-95
41
Lower Dorset Str
*
1941-95
42
Inchicore
*
1972-93
43
North Strand
*
1941-95
44
Infirmary Road
*
c1980-88
45
Sheriff Str
*
1961
open 14.6.1942 (prev Commons Str); closed 8.4.1973
46
Benburb Str
*
1957-95
closed May 1995
47
Donnybrook Road
1942
details of this office required
47
Morehampton Road
*
1980-90
closed c1995
48
Drumcondra Road
*
1955-89
Postmark reads Bothar Droim Conrach (see 67 and 236)
48
10 Lower Drumcondra Rd
1993
Pmk reads 10 Bothar Dhroim Conrach Iochta (see 67 and 236)
49
Donnybrook
*
1955-81
See also 327
50
Whitehall Tce, Clontarf
*
1978-79
51
Usher’s Quay
*
1967-89
English date stamp in use as late as 1977
52
Ringsend
*
1973-94
53
Sandymount
*
1968-93
54
High Str
*
1976
closed 31.5.1980
55
North King Str
*
closed 11.4.1986, but suggested reopened?
56
Summerhill
1911
56
Church Rd
*
1973-92
57
Berkeley Rd
*
1946-78
58
Harold’s Cross
*
1977-92
prob 67 Harolds Cross Rd – see also 103 and 114
59
Dolphin’s Barn
*
1978-94
60
Islandbridge
*
1979-94
See also 377
61
Dunville Av
*
1964-84
closed 18.10.1986
62
Russell Str
*
1971
closed 1.4.1976
62
Fitzgibbon Str
1984-86
open 31.3.1976; closed 30.1.1990
63
Marino
*
1977-91
64
Kimmage Rd
*
1944-87
64
Sundrive Road
1989-92
65
Kilmainham
*
1976-91
66
Terenure
*
1968-94
67
Drumcondra
1933
see below
67
Drumcondra Road
*
1956-84
Postmark reads Druim Chonnrach (see 48 and 236)
67
153 Lower Drumcondra Rd
1992
Pmk reads 153 Bothar Druim Chonnrach Iochta (see 48/ 236)
68
Cork Str
*
1977-89
69
St John’s Tce, Clontarf
*
1927-37
closed 18.4.1961
70
Merrion
*
1910-79
71
St Mobhi’s Rd
*
1979-89
72
Church Str
*
1975-93
closed late 1990s
73
Somerset Str
*
1982-85
believed closed
74
Milltown
*
is this still open?
75
Dollymount
*
c1979
76
Windy Arbour
*
1981-90
77
Artane
*
1978-95
78
Annamoe Rd
*
1944-48
78
Annamoe Terrace
1984-85
office moved ?when; closed and moved to P St ?when
78
Prussia Str
1990
79
80
Crumlin
*
1973-95
In 1984 ‘242’ labels used with 242 excised and 80 inserted by hand – 2 examples seen
81
82
Posted out of course/ Sorting office
*
1979
Believed used at Pearse Str Sorting Office
82A
– ditto
*
1960
Believed used at Pearse Str Sorting Office on Dublin Corporation Mail
83
84
85
86
Office of ‘An Cuntasoir’
*
87
88
89
Land Commission
*
90
91
92
93
94
95
Dept of Local Govt
*
96
Irishtown
*
1976-92
97
Killester
*
1946-91
98
99
100
Philatelic Bureau
1983-86
Also at Stampa – various years
101
102
103
Harold’s Cross Road
1970
From David Feldman at Leinster Rd – see also 114
103
(Rathmines)
1982-91
All items seen from MacDonnell Whyte at Leinster Rd – possibly allocated to this firm – see also 14 and 58
104
105
106
GPO
1949-50
Used on GPO Official Overseas Mail
107
Ballygall Rd East
*
1983-84
108
109
Ballinteer Road
1984
110
111
112
113
114
Harold’s Cross Rd
*
1938-74
See also 103; believed at 249 Harolds Cross Rd
114
Kenilworth
1978-90
open 19.8.1975
115
Roebuck
*
1979-81
116
117
Old County Road
see note
Seen for 1959 and 1992-94
117
Crumlin Road
1975-86
opened 1.8.1959 – believed moved back to OCRd c1990
118
119
Cabra
*
1974-90
120
121
Harmonstown
*
1978-89
122
123
124
Kilbarrack
1987-91
125
Dept of Education
*
126
127
128
129
130
Dundrum
*
1957-89
131
Galtymore Road
*
1970-89
Recorded by Langton as Galtymore
132
133
134
Fairview
1990
Internal PO use – see also 39
135
Donnycarney
*
1974-94
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
Lissadell Av
*
1974-78
145
146
147
148
Dept of Defence
*
1933-35
149
Dept of Social Welfare
*
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
Upper Ballyfermot
*
1978-95
FED reports Gaeltacht Park
157
158
159
160
South King Str
*
1937-41
closed 9.1.1971
161
162
163
Dublin Postal District HQ Fenian House DN2
163
No inserted by hand
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
Sutton
1981-95
173
174
175
Upper Rutland Str
*
175
Summerhill
1977-92
176
177
178
179
180
Ballsbridge
1947
See also 6; ?used by a commercial firm
181
182
183
184
Ballymun Av
*
1979
open 1.5.1959; moved 14.4.1980
184
Glasnevin Av
1980-92
see above
185
186
187
?Trinity College
1985
Used on metered mail posted St Andrew’s Str
188
Gaeltacht Park
*
188
408 Collins Av
1975-94
189
Faussagh Av
*
1969-84
190
191
GPO
c1990
Seen on PO internal mail label addressed to a mission
192
193
Northside
1979-94
194
195
196
197
198
Cappagh
*
1980-86
199
200
201
Botanic Rd
*
1970-95
202
203
Finglas East
*
1969-83
204
205
206
207
Drimnagh
*
1978-95
208
209
210
211
212
Greenlea Rd
*
1980
213
214
215
Finglas
1975-95
216
217
218
219
220
221
Phillipsburgh Av
*
222
Rathfarnham
1976
Also recorded 1986 but office of posting not readable
223
Raheny
1973-95
224
225
Shanliss Rd
*
1977-91
226
227
228
229
230
Orchardstown
1979-86
231
Navan Rd
*
231
Villa Park Gardens
1980-85
232
233
234
Bluebell
*
1970-91
235
Rialto
*
1959-94
236
Upper Drumcondra
*
1981-92
Pmk reads Dromchonnrach U (see 48 and 67)
237
Silveracre
1985
open 1.8.1957; also seen with Silveracre label
238
239
240
Santry
*
241
Ballyfermot
*
1966-93
242
Walkinstown
*
1980-88
243
244
245
246
247
248
Templeogue
1983
249
Ballyboden
1979
250
251
Carberry Rd
*
252
Churchtown
*
1978-89
253
Perrystown
1977-90
254
St Gabriel’s Road
1976-83
255
Nutgrove Av
1977-94
256
Shantulla Rd
*
1977-95
257
258
Coolock
1970-84
259
260
261
262
263
Ashtown Grove
1982-92
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
Drum Martin
1966-86
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
Edenmore
1977-92
281
Northside
1972
Postmark clearly 18 V 72, but office not reported open until 14.12.72
281
Priors Wood
1980
282
Ballymun Centre
1977-87
283
Belfield UCD
1973
open 17.7.1973
284
285
286
287
288
Bayside
1994
289
Donaghmede
1982-88
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
?Dept of Defence
c1980
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
Killinardan
1987
311
Dodsboro’
1987
312
?Neilstown Clondalkin
1991
313
Kilnamanagh
1989
314
315
316
317
Springfield
c1990
318
319
320
325
Baldoyle
1993-94
326
327
Donnybrook
1987-95
See also 49
328
Banogue
1994
377
Islandbridge
1993
See also 60
381
A firm of Co registrars
1992
On a document addressed to a dissenting shareholder
RLS
Returned Letter Section
1981-87
Mansion House
1957
Blank label used
An Dail
1929
Blank label used
END
Editorial statement:
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