Everyone “loves the old Irish phone boxes”, a man who has spent his retirement loving repairing and restoring them has claimed. 

Currently, there are 15 phone boxes in Cork and they are all set to be replaced with sleek new kiosk-style digital payphones.

For some it is rather sad news; phone boxes are a reminder of a time when communication was harder but at least everyone wasn't glued to their screens 24/7.

Perhaps no one misses them more than Paul Murphy, a man who lives on the Dublin/Meath border and has spent his retirement renovating them.

Speaking to Henry McKean for Moncrieff, he said he “loves” them and his renovated phone boxes are sold for €5,000.

“I was born in the 60s, grew up in the 70s and there was phone boxes everywhere,” he said.

“At that stage, you had to phone home to your Mammy if you were going to be late or looking for a lift or whatever.

“You had to find a phone box to do that - you didn’t have your mobile phone.

“They meant a lot to a lot of people of a certain age.”

He bought his first phone box when he was out of work and feeling somewhat down about life.

“I saw one for sale on DoneDeal and, not working, I was a bit nervous buying it,” he said.

“I said to the wife, ‘It’s a pile of concrete, it’s a mess, it’s a mess.’

“She said, ‘Go on, it’ll keep you busy.’”

He renovated it and was surprised by how many people stopped to talk to him about the project.

“Everyone loves the old Irish phone boxes,” he said.

'It wasn’t very practical'

Out on the streets of Dublin, not everyone said they have the same warm feelings about phone boxes.

“No, not at all,” one woman said when she was asked if she missed using them.

“We have our mobiles now so we’ve no need for them.”

One man said he had “never” used a phone booth in his entire life and another woman said she only recalled using one once.

“Years ago back in London - the red London boxes,” she said.

“I went in and I tried to call my Mum but it didn’t work - so, it wasn’t very practical.”

Still, she could see the point in maintaining a few for historical reasons.

“Honestly, there are so many people with phones I don’t know it would get used that much but it’s such a nostalgic piece,” she said.

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Main image: An old style Irish public telephone box in Cork.