It was confirmed last Friday that Danske Bank is to close one of their local branches.

In a statement released on Friday morning Danske Bank announced the closing of four of its branches, with the Fivemiletown branch marked for closure later this year.

Other branches which will close will be Lurgan, Cookstown, and Kilkeel. All four branches will close on Friday, September 16.

The news has been met with dismay by the businesses in the local area, as the move to close the bank will remove the ATM and the nearest bank will now be in Clogher or Lisnaskea.

UPDATE: Ulster Bank annouce closure of Clogher Branch 

One of those who commented on the closure of the bank was Tom Campbell of Acorn Landscaping said: "It is going to hit local people but it is the way it is [the trend of banks closing over the last number of years]. It is going to hit older people.

"It will hit business, there are a lot of shops in Fivemiletown and plenty of busy local businesses and it is bound to hit business hard.

The closure will also remove the Ulster Bank ATM in Fivemiletown, Tom added: "The only ATM left after this will be the one in the shop."

Concluding, Tom said: "They seem to be keeping banks in big towns but a wee town like Fivemiletown they don't seem to be bothered about us."

Commenting on the decision to close four branches, Aisling Press, Danske Bank's Managing Director of Personal Banking, said: "The world around us is changing constantly, and the world of banking changes with it.

"As a business, we have to respond to these changes and part of that is reviewing and adapting how we invest in customer solutions for the future."

Ms Press continued: "Sometimes that will include investing more in branches; sometimes, unfortunately, we also need to make difficult decisions to close certain branches that are being used less and are no longer sustainable. We do not make these decisions lightly."

Commenting as to what local customers can expect, Ms. Press said: "I have written to customers of Fivemiletown branch to assure them that we remain committed to continuing to meet their banking needs, and to share the different ways they can continue to bank with us.

"Over the coming weeks, customers will also be able to get additional support in our Fivemiletown and Enniskillen branches and from our local customer contact centre."

"Through the Bank’s relationship with the Post Office, customers with a debit card can check their account balances, withdraw cash and make personal or business cash lodgements at any UK Post Office, as well as being able to lodge cheques using a pre-printed envelope and credit slip at any Post Office in Northern Ireland."

Commenting on the closure, Fermanagh South Tyrone DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said, “It is deeply concerning that constituents have received notice that the Fivemiletown Danske Bank Branch is due to close on September 16. My thoughts first go out to the staff who will be directly impacted by this decision to close.

The closure of local banking facilities, particularly in rural areas will have a deeply damaging impact on the local community in Fivemiletown and will only place additional pressures on those who depend on these services being available in their locality.

"I have spoken with Danske Bank regarding this closure and I am seeking a meeting with them to discuss this issue further to see if any solution can be reached. It is of critical importance to me that those most vulnerable in our rural communities are still able to access these facilities on their doorstep.”

The bank has confirmed that there will be no redundancies as a result of the branch closures and that the the ATM at Fivemiletown will be removed on January 31, 2023.