From 1:00pm Each Day Ulster Bank Branches Will Now Close Their Counter Service From Today.

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold……”.

A two line extract from “The Cremation of Sam McGee” – By Scottish poet Robert W. Service.

I went into the Thurles Branch of Ulster Bank today. It was my regular once a month visit, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before I continue, may I confirm that I found the counter personnel at the Thurles Ulster Bank branch have always been and continue to be, appropriately qualified, extremely competent and very professional in their everyday dealings.

Regrettably, I cannot say the same for the Ulster Bank Group’s top management, latter who announced today, on Twitter, (at 11:47am) that counter services at their branches would close today, as of 1:00pm, and into the future.
Note: I as a customer was never directly notified.

Arriving in at approximately 1.15pm today, Friday, July 1st; with ESB and Internet accounts due, I was informed that I was not now entitled to remove money from my bank account, due to this new 1:00pm closure ruling.

I left the bank branch in Liberty Square, before returning a short time later following reflection, to seek a meeting with the branch manager. A short few minutes later I was served at the counter and my lodgement was accepted.

The next time, An Taoiseach, Mr Micheál Martin (leader of Fianna Fáil) and An Tánaiste, Mr Leo Varadker (Fine Gael TD – Dublin West), start to tell us how competition in the market place, here in Ireland, has been good for consumers; ask them ‘how come’.
How come our enlarged collection of banks were allowed to destroy this country; why numerous Internet Service providers and Electricity/Gas/ Petrol/Diesel suppliers, were all allowed to enter the market place and have metamorphosed into the most expensive distributers in Europe.