By Andy Spearman
Public phone boxes are a throwback to another age when most families didn’t have a telephone in the house and the concept of everyone, even kids, having their own mobile device was something that only existed in science fiction.
For many people the phone box on the corner was their only way of speaking to friends and relatives in other parts of the country or abroad. Phone boxes were also used by people for all sorts of other activities which it’s perhaps better not to elaborate on.
I can vividly remeber when we got our first phone in the house. My sisters and I sat and looked at it for days waiting for someone to ring!
I can also remember back in the seventies there was a phone box at the Tholsel which developed a fault which resulted in people being able to make calls without payment.
Many people took the opportunity to make free calls to the USA and Australia and many other far flung places around the world before P&T realised what was happening and repaired it.
The old cream and green P&T phone boxes with their buttons A and B are still an iconic symbol of Ireland and there’s many an Irish pub around the world that features one as a reminder of the “old sod.”
Now of course we all carry our mobiles with us all the time and they are far more than just phones and we seem to be looking at them the whole time for one reason or another.
All of the older type phone boxes are gone by now but there are still many of the kiosk type phone booths around most of which have been very badly vandalised and have become an eyesore.
Mayor of Drogheda Councillor James Byrne was in touch over the weekend to tell us that Louth County Council plans to permanently remove some pay phone kiosks around Drogheda and replace others with payphone kiosks of a more contemporary design.
“This is something I have called for over the past two years – as well as a review of old signage and billboards that detract from the look of the town” he said.
“The new kiosks will include accessibility features and an interactive digital screen that features a Wayfinding/Mapping system that is suitable for visitors and residents, providing links to Fáilte Ireland information on local tourism amenities etcetera.
“The kiosks will also promote awareness of Council events and services, public buildings and tourist attractions.”
