Drumaroad Post Office

Drumaroad's first post office was established on top of Drumaroad Hill in 1905. The post office was run as a sub office, supposedly by the Mc Keown family, and was listed as a registered sub office in the Royal Mail Post Office Guide 1905.

An Ordnance Survey Map in 1930 lists Drumaroad post office as situated on the Scribb Road, near the crossroads at the bottom of Chapel Lane. Although the photograph below establishes that there was a sub-post office on the top of Drumaroad Hill at the start of the twentieth century, prior to Drumaroad, mail was delivered to neighbouring Drumnaquoile sub post office, from Newry through Castlewellan post office, also to Dunmore sub post office through Ballynahinch post office, and to Loughinisland sub-post-office from Newry through Clough post office. George Henry Bassett refers in 'County Down 100 Years Ago' that the townland Drumnaquoile operated a sub-post office in 1886.

On 30th November 1861, the Down Recorder reported that the Postmaster General had ordered the opening of a District Post Office to be situated in the townland of Clanvaraghan. Clanvaraghan was then under the Parish of Kilmegan, prior to being joined to Drumaroad to form the Parish of Drumaroad & Clanvaraghan in 1877.

The following news article was published in the Down Recorder on 30th November, 1861:

We are happy to announce that the Postmaster-General has ordered the opening of a District Post-office at Clanvaraghan, for the Balywillwill and Clanvaraghan district, the revenue being granted to defray the cost of the service by the Rev. G. H. M'Dowell Johnston, proprietor of Ballywillwill and other townlands; and by Rev. Mr. Anderson and James Birch Kennedy, Esq., joint proprietors of Clanvaraghan, within the bounds of which office has been established-of which Mr. John Hanna has been appointed Postmaster. This is another instance of the progress of this district, alluded to in a letter, which appeared lately in our columns. The tenants of Clanvaraghan almost exclusively pay their rents by their flax crop. The district is immediately near the flax mills of the Messrs. Murland, who employ part of the population. It is expected that a suitable Post-office and other buildings will be erected at Clanvaraghan, and also a flax scutching mill, the tenants at present having eight miles to send to their steam mill, and in consequence few have yet got their flax dressed or rents ready.

References:
Down Recorder, p2, 30 November 1861