Ok this cache has nothing to do with Danger Mouse or his intrepid pal Penfold, it does however have something to do with The Penfold. The cordinates will bring you to one of the remaining Penfold post boxes left in the country.
Introduced well over 150 years ago by the novelist, Anthony Trollope, who worked for the Post Office in Ireland for several years, the letter box is an instantly recognised symbol of the Post Office. The intention was to make it easier for people to post their letters and make it unnecessary for them to have to wait for a post office to open. The first boxes appeared on the streets of cities like Dublin, Belfast and Cork over 150 years ago and were subsequently introduced elsewhere. The big pillar boxes were soon joined by smaller boxes that fitted into walls and later by lamp boxes which were cheaper to make and could be attached to lamp and telegraph poles.
One particularly attractive box, the hexagonal-sided Penfold was introduced between 1866 and 1879 and became the standard design for pillar boxes at the time. It did cause complaints when it was introduced as letters could occasionally get stuck at the edges. They were the first post box to be painted red in England, up until then all post boxes were green. The classic cylindrical shape did away with the problems of stuck letters.
A great many old post boxes remain in use today and they bring an elegance to their localities that is often much appreciated. Post boxes, of course, are first and foremost functional and they form a vital part of Post Office infrastructure. Today’s boxes – less ornate than some of their predecessors perhaps – are designed with a firm eye on the efficient and functional operation of the postal business and their presence represents a continuing tradition of faithful service to Irish people.The following extract from a poem puts it well:
I’m standing here quite lonely, on this cold December morn
It’s 60 years or more, since the day that I was born.
And from that very moment, I’ve worked hard for to serve
The people of my village, yes, to all without reserve.
(Tommy O’Brien, The Village Postbox)
Quite apart from their decorative and utilitarian qualities, Irish post boxes have symbolic value too. Before Irish independence post boxes were red but one of the first acts of the new Irish Government was to order that green would be the new colour for Post Office letter boxes. Sometimes a bit of red paint still shows through! The symbols of our past – in the form of crowns and royal insignia – take their place alongside the signs of independence – Saorstát Eireann, P&T and, of course, An Post
Please be stealthy as there are lots of prying eyes behind those twitching curtains.
Try not to look to suspicious as you are at the back of the local Garda station.
The GZ is only a five minute walk from both Bus stops and the Dart station.
There is some parking in the vicinity of the GZ.
Please replace the cache exactly where you found it.
BYOP