Volume 2, Number 9

Irish Philatelic Newsletter

Volume 2, Number 9                                                                                                                          September, 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
 
ÉPA Gains A Web Identity – www.EirePhilatelicAssoc.org
Michael Connolly

Some time back it was suggested to Dave Brennan that we change the name of the ÉPA website.  Dave brought the subject up at the AGM in Boxborough in May and discussion was held on establishing our own identity on a website without all the advertisements and difficulty in finding it on the internet.  Dave then asked me as webmaster to explore the various approaches to this request and, at the end of June, I sent a report to the board of directors. 

In 1996, I had set up a website for the ÉPA hosted at Compuserve, my internet service provider.  Some years later, when I switched from Compuserve to ATT Worldnet as my ISP, I moved the ÉPA website to GeoCities (a free hosting service), rather than to Worldnet, to avoid having to change our website address again if I should change ISPs.

The website address for the ÉPA was “http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Corridor/1290/epa.html”.  While it is easy enough to get to the website from a link on the internet (just click on the link and off you go), typing in this lengthy and complex address can prove daunting.  Even I myself have had difficulty at times remembering the full address.  Another drawback of using the “free” GeoCities hosting was that we were saddled with advertisements.

During July, the board reviewed the proposal and made recommendations and, by August 1, a final plan was approved.

Once approval was given to proceed, the Domain Name was obtained and registered.  By August 13, Barney Clancy, our treasurer, sent a check for the first two years of registration.  I immediately made the necessary arrangements to make the new Domain Name usable.

We now have our own domain name, www.EirePhilatelicAssoc.org and all necessary changes in transferring our pages to the new website have been completed. 

THE END OF THE RUBBERS
Stan Challis
challis@guernsey.net

As most readers will know rubber cancellations were used at the smaller rural sub offices to cancel stamps for roughly the first half of the last century, say typically 1906 to 1952.  Most of the cancellations were short lived because they wore badly. A typical rural office might have got through three such postmarks inscribed in English in the period to 1922.  Then perhaps a further five inscribed in Irish until the withdrawal of this type of postmark which appears to have been phased between 1951 and early 1953, although some had been replaced earlier.  Perhaps as many as 1000 or more offices used ‘rubbers’. They can always be recognised by the format of the date – all in one line with the month in three letters and the frequently slightly (to very) smudgy impression.

Because this type of postmark was only used at small offices it is in consequence to find examples of these postmarks in quantity.  Recently I came across a series of postmarks from the office of Derrylane (Doire Leathan) Co Cavan  (4 miles south of Killeshandra).

Item one, only a partial impression I fear, requires a bit of help from those reading this article please.  Dated 21 MAR 49 the word RECEIVED appears immediately below the date.  My first thought was that it was impressed by the firm receiving the item (what a pity it is not a whole cover!). However the ‘received’ is almost exactly in line with the date and the ink colour is the same as the postmark. It is also centrally placed below the date. I do really believe it is part of the postmark.  Has anyone else got an example?

Items two and three from the same office are probably the same postmark but with ‘received’ cut away.  These are dated 9 and ?10 April 1952; I have another example dated ?22 December 1949 so if ‘received’ was part of the postmark it was probably short lived. The two April 1952 items just show how different a postmark can look on two consecutive days. 

The rubber had been withdrawn and replaced by a steel datestamp by 25 IV 1952 (item four) giving a rare opportunity of pinning down the withdrawal of rubber postmark to within a fortnight.  That steel postmark was still in use certainly as late as 1990.

A final thought – had Derrylane run out of 21/2d stamps in April 1952?

Philatelic Service Import-Export
Ray Murphy
Rayhmurphy@prodigy.net

I have a cover that I need help on.  It was in a batch of official covers that apparently contained new issues from the GPO Philatelic Bureau going to stamp dealers in the New York area.  Normally, these were in 102mm by 226mm envelopes with the harp indicia, and had recent stamps on them (since they were going overseas). 

This envelope, mailed from Drogheda on 15 January 1969,  did not have the indicia, but, on the reverse flap, a rubber stamp indicating Philatelic Service Import-Export Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland with a crown and post horn.  I read an article in “The Irish Stamp News,” Volume 8, Summer 1981 where there was consideration to moving the Philatelic Bureau to Dundalk due to a decentralization program in the GPO, but this was in 1981 and apparently didn’t take place since the Bureau is still in Dublin; in any case, it is after the time of the envelope in question.  Still, I have found no reference to a commercial company bearing this name.  Was this a commercial concern using a “look-alike” envelope or was this an official mail in a non-indicia envelope?  I tend to believe it was the former in view of the coat of arms, but stranger things have happened.  Can anyone enlighten me?

Ray Murphy, 1993 76th Avenue N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-4837

AnPost 2000 Stamp Program
Michael Connolly

AnPost has added a late entry in the year 2000 stamp program.  A 50p commemorative stamp for the 100th anniversary of the Department of Agriculture will be issued November 14.
The Irish Were Present at BALPEX
Joe Foley
JFoley4197@aol.com

Mike Connolly had his “ABCs of Irish Philately” in the open competition and Joe Foley his “Ireland — The  Ubiquitous Tuppence Map Stamp” in the Baltimore Philatelic Society Members’ Competition section. {ed.note: Joe won a gold for his efforts}

The ÉPA Hoban Chapter meeting took place on Saturday and began with the traditional no-host lunch [ably assisted by Guinness on tap — if they could only learn the meaning of “slow pour” and forget the frosted mug!].

At the meeting that followed, members not able to attend the Boxborough festivities were presented with anniversary magnifiers and all received the ÉPA souvenir sheet.

The business meeting was short and sweet. The treasury being in a healthy state, it was decided to waive dues for the coming year.

A spirited auction of material that had been donated to the ÉPA Postal Auction and did not sell there yielded $58 for the Association. The bidding was spirited and some members learned that it might not be too wise to scratch an itchy ear during the bidding process. In any event, all of the material found a welcome home.

Myron Hill presented the program and showed a number of items from his collection of commemorative varieties. Myron began with a description of the various printing processes used in producing Irish stamps and causes of the
varieties. He then went on to show us many actual examples. A much appreciated talk.

Plans are underway for future meetings of the chapter.

TEXPEX 2001 HOME PAGE
David Brennan
BRENNAN704@aol.com

It’s probably not to soon for members of the ÉPA to start thinking about the 2001 National Annual Conventions (AGM) of the Association.  It will take place at the Texas Philatelic Exhibition, TEXPEX, April 6 through 8, 2001, at the Renaissance Dallas North Hotel in Dallas, Texas.  The exhibit entry form is available on the internet for those interested in exhibiting and a schedule of activities is also available. 

Just go to www.flash.net/~jstamp/stamp1.html for details.

Editorial statement:

In today’s cyber-age, its only fitting that we interact in cyberspace. I can’t see any reason why the members of our societies should not join in. More and more of our members are now accessing e-mail and the internet.

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Members are encouraged to contribute articles or bits of news to the newsletter.  I believe that learned treatises belong in our society journals, where they can be shared with all members. I don’t feel that a newsletter should ever attempt to be a replacement for our journals.

“Newsy” bits would certainly interest me personally and would seem to be ideal for a newsletter such as this.

Requests for information and help with puzzling items can be submitted and, hopefully, some reader will have an answer.

Brief articles or informational pieces would also be welcome.

If you have e-mail access, you can send articles by e-mail to webmaster.

For those in the U.S.A., libraries providing access and free e-mail sites are proliferating.  Members could access the Web even without home or office access to cyberspace.

Input from members can even come via our beloved snail-mail.

Submitters should understand that any material published in the newsletter would, automatically, become available for publication in our journals.