Togher's Financial Sector - 01 - Cork Savings Bank

This series of short articles  - Togher's Financial Sector - will look at all of the areas money based institutions , in no particular order , whether still extant or not. The blog will open with a very brief look back at the Cork Savings Bank.

Permanent TSB circa 2009
1 Clashduv Road

Sold sign circa 2011

The Cork Savings Bank originally opened in Cork City in 1817 and operated from Lapps Quay until 1986.  The Togher branch first opened in late 1974 or early 1975 as a branch of the Cork Savings Bank. This was part of its expansion plan given the rapid development in Togher at the time. It of course was also seen as a direct competitor to the nearby Bank of Ireland which had been in situ as part of the Southside Shopping Centre on Hazel Road since 1970. It was built on a piece of greenfield site directly in front of Owenacurra Court with the grandiose address of 1 Clashduv Park.

Future site ( 1971 ) bottom right of field
in front of Owenacurra Court

Over the decades, the branch changed names multiple times due to institutional mergers before it finally closed in 2010: 

1974–1986: Cork Savings Bank
1986–1992: Cork & Limerick Savings Bank ( following an amalgamation )
1992–2001: TSB (Trustee Savings Bank) ( following a nationwide merger )
2001–2010: Permanent TSB ( following the merger with Irish Permanent )

As of 2013 the bank now operates under the name PTSB.

Last logo used on Bank in Togher

Today the site is occupied by Abbeyville Vets who moved in circa 2011. All that remains of the old Bank is the low wall which encloses the building.

Abbeyville Vets

The Conjen Box

The Conjen Box

Side view showing teeth of insertion point
& keyhole

Children from the 1970s will well remember the Conjen Box! This was a metallic box in the shape of a bank book or post office box. The idea being that youngsters would deposit their pennies in the box and when full take them into the Bank where the cashier held the key to open it and add to your savings account or in most cases hand directly back to the child. Of course many kids from the 1970s had by then mastered the art of prizing back the teeth under the box to secretly free up some coins for sweets and comics! The Conjen Box was discontinued in the late 20th Century. The term is said to derive from returning Munster Fusiliers who coined the slang word from the Tamil " Kanji " which was a military lock up or Glasshouse for soldiers. 

PTSB connection to Togher

The old bank still has a ghostly connection with Togher to this very day! Their customer resolution offices are based at the Togher Sorting Office off the South Ring Road. So if you have any complaints and still hold a savings book from their time in Togher , then you can drop them a line!

PTSB Customer Care Centre
off South Ring Road
Togher Industrial Estate

Acknowledgements :

https://readingthesigns.weebly.com