The Last of The Cycling Postmen, Goleen, Co. Cork, Ireland 1975 

Men like this were the backbone of rural Ireland back in the day, tough, dedicated, reliable - quiet heroes of the community.

He also won the Tour de France twenty two times by accident, they don’t make them like that anymore and he has my respect

I read a report that he lived to 108 years old. He would be 111 were he alive today. Impressive man.

Also for people that don’t have much contact with people a visit from the postman and a word of gossip meant a lot especially for the elderly .

27 miles a day on a bike that weighed more than the anchor of the Titanic, while puffing a pack of silk cut blue.

They missed the bit where he admitted to fathering 175 children in Goleen.

What a hardy fella 162 miles a week at 65 , God bless him.

The maddest bit is that a posty owns a 15 acre farm what a time to be alive

Cycled 27 miles a day ,6 days a week for 42 years in wellington boots! The man was a savage!

I cycled my post route in my early 20's, I've not a patch on this gentleman, I'd have been bolloxed doing his route in my 20's and hes 65 here still going strong, now that's what you call a proper hardman

You’ve got to admire the Celtic toughness. Respect from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

Reminds me of my Dad. He was a postman for 43 years and cycled most of them. I see all that cycling helped. Today at 85 he is super fit

Lovely little slice of life from a time long gone. The gentleman was so soft-spoken I hardly caught a word that wasn't "yes, no, I will, I won't" 😊

And this fella paid more tax in one day than Amazon do in a year.

Spent my years from 18-21 being a cycling postman in Donegal, Ireland and I'll tell you that this man is not the last of his breed. There were those older than me that are still doing cycle-only posts in their 50s

He got off his bike and walked it when he was passing a pedestrian, what a dacent gent 👍

People like him reduce me to tears - so good, I have no words

My DAD was a Postman from the age of sixteen until he retired at sixty cycling and walking , R I P DAD.

This moved me. A lifetime of quiet, stoic service to rural people - as others have said, imagine the conditions that man performed in.....and all on top of looking after a farm!!

This is bloody wonderful. That guy is made of steel. His stare and his grin. 27 miles ain’t so bad. We was obviously in great health from it!

You'll never find another bloke like him.

the sad thing now is that most of these Rural post offices in ireland have long since been closed ... many villages in the countryside have no bank and no post office .. really affects the social fabric of rural communities.. and causes a lot of social isolation

In primary school, after classes I used to ride along with local postman and help him deliver some letters. He always bought me coke or ice cream. I thought it was the best job ever, riding bicycle all day long.

I live in Dublin today, and our neighbourhood postman always travels about on a bicycle. The tradition is alive and well.

As a Dutchman living in Ireland and loving the country and people to bits, I would love to do this job!

For a non english speaker like me its really hard to understand irish people like this champ. God Bless people like him, strong men of the past.

I think this sort of things resonates within so many people who watch it because despite the role of a cycling postman in the mountains of Ireland being largely superfluous, it is immediately appreciable in its simple, hard-working and honest nature. This man has dedicated his life to traveling the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of miles around the planet in order to bring folks their mail on time, but he's also undoubtedly become an inextricable part of their lives. There is a truth and beauty in someone keeping a tiny yet precious part of their local culture alive.

Reporter: Are you ready for retirement, Mike? Mike the Postman: (Tilts head back and laughs, starts pedaling like a madman as his bike levitates into the cloudy blue sky.)

My dad was the last to cycle the post on the golden route in tipperary

Sounds like a wonderful existence - he gets to be outside all the time, has no deadlines or time limitations as long as he completes his rounds, and can enjoy the smells and the sights and the sounds of the countryside. All the while being paid to exercise and stay healthy! Lovely, and enviable.

I like when he just stares at him when the reporter asks what's the worst about bad weather

This wonderful postman passed away in 2018. R.I.P. Mike.

That ol Boy has legs of steel & will probably live past 100 years, my Grandmother from Cork born in 1890 died in 1993, 103 years old left Ireland in the 50's came to the U.S made her way to the west coast Portland, OR USA Lived to see 3 generations after her

What a great man, an unsung hero. They certainly don't make them like that anymore. A humble pillar of his community.

Reporter: are you thinking of retiring? Mike the Postman: shoo to tae tae hu ta tu ti to to tae. Reporter: I see.

My father used to drive around rural parts of Kerry and west Cork in the 80s and early 90s selling workwear (wellingtons, boots etc) to mainly farmers. I used to love heading out with him for the day when I was a kid. Brilliant memory's. People were so genuine and honest back then, it was class. My child is growing up in a different Ireland than I did. Man, the country has changed so much since then ☮️☮️☮️

I say he saw plenty of things along the way and wasnt short of a story you forget its men like him that were the bedrock of rural Ireland back in the day.

I love these random videos I find every now and again.

Respect and honor to this man.

I used to cycle 16 miles a day in my late forties for work and that used to really tire me out. I'm impressed at this chap doing 27 miles a day at 65!

I have worked out that he started that job in 1933!!!!!!

I'd rather do that job - even in the pouring rain on a freezing morning - than rotting away at my desk.

Pure gold. All the hardships taken with a smile...

Wonderful old Ireland. It’s gone forever.

Thank God we still have Michael Gallagher the Donegal postman who looks to the animals n fauna to (accurately) predict the weather

I was a postman in a small country town in south west australia in 1963 I did the whole town on my cycle In all weathers and dogs All post boxes on fences

My great grandfather did this in the 30s/40s Newport, Tipperary ☘️ loved hearing the stories from my nanny about being collected from school with his bike.

My father was a post man in the 50s...I can remember him getting up at 5 30 am ,to cycle 10 miles to get to his rounds,in all kinds of weather...l don't think anyone would do or be up to it now these days...N I.

Mighty video of a mighty craythur. Would bring a tear to the eye. Thanks a million for uploading.

You won't see that man complaining of chest pain or diabetes, fit as a prize greyhound and as tough as nails ,is it any wonder the men of west cork had the tans running in circles with old boys like that around

Awwww....I loved that! 💜 Thank you! I have been disabled with chronic illness for 28 years now, but before that I "lived" on my bike! Grew up in Norfolk, England and we were poor. Mum and dad travelled everywhere by bike, and I was on a wee seat on dad's crossbar. The highlight of my young life, was getting my first bike, aged 4 ....a little tricycle. I was never off it! Lol When my grandad died, I progressed to his bike, which was exactly the same as the one that this lovely gentleman was riding! In my early teens, I got a part time job, and I saved and saved, until finally, I bought a beautiful Claud Butler drop handlebar bike. That bike was my life! I travelled/worked all over the UK (never got to tour Ireland, sadly), and cycled all over the UK, eventually getting a hand built tourer, which I named "Nomad" 😅. Carried on cycling, even though I was getting more and more ill, until I just couldn't do it any more. Needless to say, my beloved bike remains in my loft! I just couldn't part with it! Sorry for rambling....this story kind of touched my heart ❤ The postman reminded me of my grandad, and his old bike (the one I inherited) It was a simpler time....a wonderful time.

A lovely film! ... I love Ireland by my heart, I have been there eight times and lived and worked there for some time at the end of the 80's and in the early 90's, Cork City, West Cork, Schull, Kinsale, Crosshaven… I know it well, I like to remember it quite often ❤️🍀 from South Germany

The Irish of that generation were machines of people❤️🇮🇪💕

Biking through the countryside of Ireland for your whole life sounds like heaven.

Everyday 6 days a week for the last 42 years at that time 1975, the time I was born. Wow, thank you sir for your dedicated service. Salute!

When Bicycles were first introduced to An Post, Postmen were not permitted to ride them, but rather the Bicycles were for the carriage of Mailbags, with the Postman walking alongside.

My mother was brought up on a hill farm in Aberdeenshire in the 1920s - she remembered one time when the postie on his bike handed her the post and informed her that her uncle was going to be visiting from the Philippines. The advantage was that the family didn't need to let any of the neighbours know. Even where we now live we have only fairly recently swapped from bike to van delivery

This is an gem of a video, and clearly a gem of a human. What a lovely & tough soul!

After 42 years, this gentleman’s a*s must’ve been tougher than Kevlar. Seriously, men like this are few and far between now. He obviously was a very dedicated and hardworking man who took a tremendous amount of pride in his work.

I remember our local postman Gerry in the 60's and 70's in North Cork, hail rain or shine he was out, he had a farm as well and used to buy calves from my father. He got a Honda 50 in about 1972. His son rang me after my father died to send his condolences, What hardy men they were, the backbone of the community, the internet of the time with all the latest news!

As a latin american, even though I manage English very well, when I see "Ireland" and it is about an old person, I think "Oh boy this is gonna be tough" because the accent is so dense hahaha it is really hard to understand. Interesting video!

If anyone is interested, he lived to either 107 or 108! What a man

The wonders of RU-vid - watching videos about cycling postmen from 45 years ago and from the other side of the planet

Imagine what he could do with a modern lightweight bike. He's doing every day the same level of training winners of the big tours do with an entire support team. And they don't even take out their cows first! Incredible.

I remember men like this in London in the 70s, road diggers, railway workers, kitchen porters. Unbreakable, but prone to be in the demon drink at times.

My grandfather was a cycling postman, this was lovely to see

I started working for the PMG/Australia Post in 1974. I can assure you that we were still using pushbikes well into the 1980s as well as delivering on motor bikes and on foot.

the 'Quiet Man'

Such a beautiful and humble person!

Men like Mike you don't get them anymore. A credit for ability and willingness to go the extra mile. A great example of how to get on with the job. Excellent.👍

Older generations were so much tougher then us now.

As a Corkman myself I would love to go back in time and travel around my own native county 50 years ago and more before there ever was a Celtic Tiger anywhere in sight. Gorgeous quite country Ireland was then, north and south.

Great man!

In 1992 I was lucky enough to spend a month in Ireland. I was 12, and my grandfather had living relatives there so we had a house to stay in, etc. Since I was young, I probably didn't appreciate it like I should but will always be in my memories.

I`m a cycling postman too. Rain, snow or shine, anyhow the weather conditions are, I love my job!

Great segments, thanks, and keep them coming.

What a trooper ❤️👍

We'd a postman, Christy, all through the 80s. He'd been cycling many miles for over 30 years at that point. Rain, hail or shine he always delivered the post on his bike. An Post gave him a green van in the early 90s. Made life easier for the poor man. Once a month he'd give all the kids in our area a small bag of Jelly Tots or a roll of Silvermints. RIP Chrisy.

Very touching video... My grandfather was a cycling postmen in Normandy, France. One time he was fined for "bike overload". He was carrying too many parcels.

I'm glad I live a life that will enable me to be as fit as this man at his age. Work for a living outside like man and you'll be one.

We had a cycling postman in ballygarvan co cork up until the 90s. frankie barry was his name.he covered a rural hilly route as well.

people are spoilt today world is a worse place without men like him and the times long gone.

He is like my grandfather. Proud to postman Ireland from Indonesia postman

This boy would show them ones in the Tour de France how it's done. Leave them all in dust he would!

There’s a post man in Ardee Co.Louth that still uses a bike 🚴

Bravo, man !! You are a real hero! Always on the road, talking with all the people around, standing all weather! What a great man! I love the postman! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Mike Sheehan what a person. Huge respect to him.

May god bless these good people.

Fabulous clip like all of your stuff long past now I'd say,

What a respectable man.

We had a cycling Postman until 1993 in our village in south Wexford.

I think our bicycle postman in Geevagh, in south east county Sligo, was going into the 1980s.

What a guy, fair play to him. We will never see his like again

Hard working Gentleman , put many to shame today ....God Bless Sir

The respect I have for this man is off the charts. That's inspiring.

He’s a living breathing Flann O’Brien character.

Our postie was still doing this in the 1980s semii rural cork

This really warmed my heart

❤what a strong man god. Bless his memory.

Ya old school great BREED OLD STOCK THERE WSS A MAN HERE N MAYO WHO WALKED WITH THE POST NO HEART TROUBLE OR CANCER OR OTHER HEALTHY AS DOGS GREAT ADMORATION FOR ANY LIKE HIM