The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
MARY Kelly’s shop has been part of the landscape of O’Connell Street in Ennis for decades, but she will close its doors for the last time on Friday.
“I started here exactly 40 years ago on Saturday and I’m closing this Friday. I did it quickly because once the sale went through last Wednesday I said there was no point in dragging it out for a whole month,” she told the Clare Champion this week.
Much of her life has been spent running the landmark business, and she says she has loved it.
“I had the best of times, the best of times. I’m so glad I was here when I was here.”
She began the business at a time when there were lots of people working on the town’s busiest street.
“I started here in 1982 and I took over from Mrs Reidy, her maiden name was Henchy, and it was in her family before that for many, many decades. She lived overhead and I ran the shop.
“I couldn’t have been in a better place than O’Connell Street. At that time from Griffin’s in the Square down to Old Ground was all owner-run businesses.
“There were a huge amount of people working on the street. There were 16 people working in Moran’s, there were four in Nealon’s, a crowd in Brogan’s, in Heaslip’s. I was very privileged to be part of it.”
At one time she would have sold all sorts of publications, but she says the rise of the internet saw off much of the demand.
“I put aside magazines from Twinkle to Shooting Times, to National Geographic. I did all the international papers, Le Monde, the Wall Street Journal, but there’s no need for that any more, they have them all on their phones.”
In recent years she concentrated on cards, and loved meeting customers and hearing about what occasion was being marked.
“When people come into buy a card they’re generally celebrating an occasion. When you ask what they’re looking for you’ll hear about their son’s engagement, their daughter’s new baby, or the wedding they’re going to or the 50th birthday party they’re going to.
“For a few minutes during that transaction you become involved with the customer. You get into their life and through it I felt I knew everyone coming in here even if I didn’t know their last name. I loved Christmas, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, all of those occasions, it was such a buzz.”
She says she loved being in the heart of the county’s busiest street when Clare teams were going well.
“On Monday all we’d do is review the match and then on the Saturday we’d only talk about the match coming up!”
Mary also says she had fantastic staff working with her over the last 40 years.
“The girl who’s with me, Katie, she’s with me 22 years. Her sister was with me for about eight years. I’ve had fabulous people working for me, whether it was 14-year-olds doing a Saturday or 40-year-olds doing a few days a week.”
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
