Clones amongst three ulster bank branches to close locally

Three Ulster Bank branches in the region are to close with effect from March next year. Branches in Clones and Castleblayney in Co Monaghan and in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, are among 14 branches to close early next year, as announced by the bank last Friday.
They follow other closures in the region in recent years after the bank shut branches in Belturbet, Killeshandra, Kilnaleck, a part-time operation in Swanlinbar, a branch in Castlepollard and, most recently, in Granard, Co Longford. The closure of the Manorhamilton branch means the bank will no longer have a presence in County Leitrim.
The latest closures will see the bank’s presence fall to just 15 branches across the three Ulster counties in the Republic.

Redundancies
A total of 37 roles are said to be at risk when the branches close in March 2015, though Ulster Bank has stated any job losses will be “volunteer led”, and affected workers have been invited to redeploy to other areas in the bank.
Ulster Bank has furthermore written to customers in the affected branches.
The latest closures are part of an announcement made last year by Ulster Bank, which said it aimed to reduce the number of branches across the island of Ireland from 214 to between 175 and 185.
A further 10 branches are expected to close in the North early next year.
The other branches to close in the Republic are located in Athboy and Ashbourne, Co Meath; Ballinrobe, Co Mayo; Athy, Co Kildare; Castlerea, Co Roscommon; Croom, Co Limerick; Ferbane, Co Offaly; Loughrea, Co Galway; Moville, Co Donegal; Roscrea, Co Tipperary and Wicklow Town.

Properties sold
Meanwhile, more than 27 bids were received for the former Belturbet branch, when it went under the hammer, eventually selling for €78,000, €28,000 in excess of its reserve. The property has now been transformed to cater for the local post office.
The premises at Killeshandra was sold at its reserve of €55,000 and the former bank premises in Kilnaleck sold for €66,000.
Ulster Bank has said that the decision to close any branch is made on a case-by-case basis, based on local information received.
“Banking has changed significantly over the last few years as more and more of our customers are using digital technology to bank with us where and when it is convenient for them. As a result, only 13% of transactions happen in branches in the Republic of Ireland,” the bank said in a statement.
“We continue to invest in a range of channels to respond to how our customers prefer to do their banking,” read the statement.
The finance union, IBOA, said it was “very disappointed” at last Friday’s news from Ulster Bank.
The union has called on Ulster Bank management to review its decision to close more branches in the interest of both its customers and its employees.
Apart from raising issues about the alternative arrangements for customers in the affected areas, the union also sought assurances the latest closures are the last at the bank for the foreseeable future.