Family in business for 150 years

THE fifth generation of a well-known business family will celebrate 150 years in business on the shores of Lough Derg on Friday, July 16.
McKeogh’s supermarket and hardware stores in Ballina have reached a milestone that few businesses in the Mid-West have managed to achieve.

Chiara and Aaron are the fifth generation of the McKeogh family still involved in businesses, which are now considered something of a landmark in the community.
The McKeogh family can trace their origins in Ballina back to 1860, when James McKeogh, a native of Ballyea, Boher, started trading in the village. Following his death in 1887, he was succeeded by his son, James, who ran the business until 1938.
It has survived despite many turbulent times including the Civil War, both world wars and many recessions. Burned to the ground in 1936, the premises was rebuilt by James’s son, Patrick, over a number of years and he ran the business from 1938 until his death in 1962.
The bakery was the mainstay of the business from 1930 until the late 1980s, when the baking trade nationally collapsed following the removal of government subsidies.
The late Jim McKeogh ran the bakery from 1962 to 1968 and it was taken over by the late Fergus McKeogh, who continued until his death in 1989.
Moyra McKeogh, wife of the late Patrick, continued running the business with their sons for many years.
Diversification helped the business to survive during lean times and the business branched out to meet the changing needs of the local community. The family also had a dairy farm at the time, supplying milk to the Ballina and Killaloe area.
Ballina man Michael Fitzpatrick spent about 60 years working at McKeogh’s bakery. He was one of the 14 bakers and seven confectioners employed in the 1940s when bread was rationed. However, McKeogh’s bakery flourished and Michael recalled their produce was delivered all over the country, including Roscrea, where sausage bread was made for the local bacon factory.
Pauline Scanlan, an employee of moer than 50 years, remembers starting work at McKeogh’s in 1955 when the family had a thriving bakery, bar and grocery in addition to a hardware store.
Today, the business is run by managing director Noel McKeogh and his wife, Rosemarie with his brother, Gerard, who runs the supermarket. Noel’s daughter Chiara and Gerard’s son Aaron are being groomed to be the fifth generation to take over the running of the business.
At its height, the business employed 50 people and even now, Gerard says the family is proud to remain one of the town’s largest employers with a current staff of between 30 and 40 people from North Tipperary and South-East Clare.
Noel said a lot of business in the Mid-West have come and gone over the past 150 years.
“I suppose we are unique, I think there are very few businesses who can trace their origins back 150 years. We are delighted to be still in business and hopefully we will be still in business for the next 150 years,” he said.