An Post to honour late Mayo postmistress Maureen Sweeney

AN Post is to celebrate the achievements of the late Mayo postmistress Maureen Sweeney, who saved D-Day during World War Two, with the commissioning of a new postmark.

The ‘Maureen Sweeney’ meeting room in the new An Post HQ already marks how she was instrumental in changing the course of world history.

Maureen, from Blacksod, Belmullet, died in her 101st year last weekend.

An Post has paid tribute to the former Belmullet and Blacksod postmistress, whose weather report saved the D-Day landings from a catastrophic storm.

In those days, some local postmasters or postmistresses were tasked with the important job of monitoring meteorological instruments.

Aged 21, Maureen’s careful measurements from Blacksod Bay identified a drop in pressure signalling an impending storm over the Atlantic. As a result of this forecast being forwarded to the Allied Expeditionary Force in England, US General Dwight Eisenhower postponed the D-Day landing.

An Post CEO David McRedmond said: “We’re very proud of postmistress Maureen Sweeney and we named a meeting room in our new EXO HQ after her, looking out along the Liffey, Dublin Bay and beyond.

“We’ll always remember her fondly and we’re designing a postmark in her honour.

“We send our deepest condolences to Maureen’s family and friends. May she rest in peace.”

In 2021, Maureen Sweeney was awarded a special US House of Representatives honour for her role in World War Two.

Maureen will be laid to rest on Friday.