Remembering Gabrielle Mackin
First Anniversary Of Hugely Popular Carrigaline Postmistress.
Writes Leo McMahon
Thursday, September 6th marks the first anniversary of the passing of one of Carrigaline’s most loved personalities, former postmistress Gabrielle Mackin, a woman who truly served her community with distinction, especially the elderly, and made the old Post Office the heart of the village.
A native of St Luke’s, Cork, Gabrielle Mackin (nee Horan) was born on March 25th, 1937. She married Coachford man the late Mick Mackin, who ran a post office in Shandon Street, and moved to Main Street, Carrigaline in 1969 in what was up to recently, The Abbey Restaurant and Bar.
Gabrielle is survived by her two daughters Michelle Murphy, Sharon O’Driscoll and a son Jason Mackin, all residing in Carrigaline plus ten grand and two great grandchildren.
‘It was while we were on holiday in Crosshaven in 1969 that we heard about the post office in Carrigaline becoming vacant,’ recalled Michelle who worked for many years with her mother in the post office, which was also the three bedroomed family home in Carrigaline and the best view in the village.
‘My mother would start work at 6.30am sorting the mail, make the breakfast and get us all ready for school. In latter years she would also have a morning swim plus sing-song in the hotel pool. She usually finished work at 6pm with a break a lunch that suited the pottery workers and would be at the counter on Saturday which was a half day.’
Back in the early ‘seventies, Carrigaline was a village with a population of around 750, (it’s over 17,000 today, and it was quite common for people to beep the horn and a staff member dash outside to hand over a parcel.
In the early ‘seventies, Gabrielle learned to drive and had a car for delivering telegrams in what was still a very rural locality.
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