The shops then before the shops now thread-Nationwide!

C.K Dexter Haven · 29-01-2013 11:43pm #1

Tried to get the thread title right.

Simply, this thread is for any shops/pubs/commercial centers etc anywhere in Ireland that were once there, but now something else is there in its place.

Tell your story of the shop you remember, and if you know, what shop or site exists now- all parts of Ireland catered for.

Best way to do that is a few examples:

HMV Grafton st Dublin - used to be Woolworth's - great memories of chrome swing doors, kids running in, grabbing a bunch of sweets and running out of the shop jumping on the back of an open backed bus- yes people's, buses used to go down Grafton st

Another example is Brown Thomas. Used to be where Marks and Spencer is now. Where Brown Thomas is now used to be Switzers- great Christmas display so it was.

Anyway, most of you know all this - what else do you remember- pictures welcome and good banter/memories encouraged- keep loosely on topic and we should get a good thread going.

gipi · 30-01-2013 11:29am

Penney's on O'Connell St Dublin was British Home Stores back in the early 80s. Loved their selection of lighting fixtures!

Murray's pharmacy on Talbot St Dublin (near Gardiner St junction) used to be the Educational Company of Ireland. Many's the August/September trip made there to get the new year's school books

gobnaitolunacy · 30-01-2013 12:14pm

Roches Stores, like.

LiamMc · 30-01-2013 1:50pm

When I read the thread title, Woolworths was shop I was thinking of. Probably the first time I was on an excolator/moving stairs.

Greenes bookshop of Clare St. is a Jermyn street (London) referenced clothes shop.

McBirney's Building, Aston Quay. later condom-seller Virgin and now a super-sized newsagent.
Tilework at door entrance has McBirney's.
It's not officially called McBirney Building but I think it should be. (maybe like the names of some Pubs it gets called the immediate previous name).

Irish Times 1984
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0912/1224323902223.html
"...In many ways it was a 19th- century institution, Mr Francis said wistfully, and when the British Wintrust Bank took it over in 1970 they were charmed with its old-world air, its panelling and magnificent staircase. But it didn’t make modern money sense, so when the PMPA took it over in 1977 many changes were made, including removing the panelling and the staircase."

The relatively recently opened fruit and veg supermarket on Wicklow street with blue-tile azure on the outside. I don't know what that building was before or whether it was in use. It's doors were always closed when I went passed and there was no company plaques on the wall outside.

Tombo2001 · 30-01-2013 5:18pm

Hemp Store on Capel Street, used to be TRAID.

Gloomtastic! · 30-01-2013 5:18pm

The big wooden horse in Brown Thomas when it was on the other side of Grafton Street. Used to love that horse!

Tombo2001 · 30-01-2013 5:21pm

LiamMc wrote: »

When I read the thread title, Woolworths was shop I was thinking of. Probably the first time I was on an excolator/moving stairs.

Greenes bookshop of Clare St. is a Jermyn street (London) referenced clothes shop.

McBirney's Building, Aston Quay. later condom-seller Virgin and now a super-sized newsagent.
Tilework at door entrance has McBirney's.
It's not officially called McBirney Building but I think it should be. (maybe like the names of some Pubs it gets called the immediate previous name).

Irish Times 1984
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0912/1224323902223.html
"...In many ways it was a 19th- century institution, Mr Francis said wistfully, and when the British Wintrust Bank took it over in 1970 they were charmed with its old-world air, its panelling and magnificent staircase. But it didn’t make modern money sense, so when the PMPA took it over in 1977 many changes were made, including removing the panelling and the staircase."

The relatively recently opened fruit and veg supermarket on Wicklow street with blue-tile azure on the outside. I don't know what that building was before or whether it was in use. It's doors were always closed when I went passed and there was no company plaques on the wall outside.

Greene's book store.....now there is one that particularly galls me.

This was such a fantastic shop, it was unique and so atmospheric, and really lent itself to the idea of Dublin as a city of writers, readers and of books......all the bloody grants that are given out for arts and heritage that add up to nothing......could some of that not be used to preserve an institution like Greene's so that Dublin can retain some uniqueness and not just be another British high street retail location.

steveone · 31-01-2013 1:16am

nassau street.....fred hannahs= kc peaches..

steveone · 31-01-2013 1:20am

dempseys music salon eh.on the top of capel street /parnell street junction is now.....gone? he was great for parts and bits of stuff I was (or more often than not- wasn't) looking for.

what was doctor quirkeys... is it still there or is there still a big hole?

C.K Dexter Haven · 31-01-2013 8:41pm

steveone wrote: »

dempseys music salon eh.on the top of capel street /parnell street junction is now.....gone? he was great for parts and bits of stuff I was (or more often than not- wasn't) looking for.

what was doctor quirkeys... is it still there or is there still a big hole?

Dr Quirkeys amusement arcade on O Connell st used to be a very fine Cinema called the Carlton.

L1011 · 01-02-2013 3:32pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Dr Quirkeys amusement arcade on O Connell st used to be a very fine Cinema called the Carlton.

Nope, that's the "4D Experience" or whatever its claiming to be these days. Quirkeys is a different building.

C.K Dexter Haven · 01-02-2013 8:29pm

MYOB wrote: »

Nope, that's the "4D Experience" or whatever its claiming to be these days. Quirkeys is a different building.

Which is owned by Dr. Quirkeys -

http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2265095

L1011 · 01-02-2013 8:53pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Which is owned by Dr. Quirkeys -

http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2265095

The buildings are owned by NAMA now as far as I know - they might be running the tat that's in there though.

I can't remember what was in the actual amusement arcade building or the empty site prior to them being that, though.

C.K Dexter Haven · 01-02-2013 10:25pm

The entrance to St Stephens Green centre and the corner of South King St used to be Rices pub.
Just down from there was a 2nd hand record store where a lot of punks hung out. And of course, the site of Stephens Green centre housed the Gaiety Green and at the weekend, the Dandelion Market.

The joke shop on South King St beside the Gaiety, used to be in the Gaiety Green.

dylbert · 01-02-2013 10:41pm

Virgin Megastore which was on Aston Quay, think it's a Super Valu now?
The place was huge, could spend hours in the place flicking through CD's, it was the first place in Ireland to sell condoms.

Just remembered another one, King Burger on O'Connell Street, where the Spar is now beside Burger King.

L1011 · 01-02-2013 10:56pm

dylbert wrote: »

Virgin Megastore which was on Aston Quay, think it's a Super Valu now?
The place was huge, could spend hours in the place flicking through CD's, it was the first place in Ireland to sell condoms.

Was McBirney's department store before that.

C.K Dexter Haven · 01-02-2013 11:29pm

MYOB wrote: »

Was McBirney's department store before that.

Any memories of that shop. I remember it being there and was in it but just can't picture the interior at all.

gipi · 02-02-2013 3:40pm

It was a classic old-style department store with dark wood counters and drawers behind them - think the Men's Department in "Are you being Served"?!

What I remember most about McBirneys was their vacuum tube system for moving money from the shop floor to accounts. I remember them putting money into a cylinder, and putting it into the tube - could it have been the case that the counters didn't have individual tills (I'm a bit hazy on that!).

C.K Dexter Haven · 02-02-2013 10:20pm

gipi wrote: »

It was a classic old-style department store with dark wood counters and drawers behind them - think the Men's Department in "Are you being Served"?!

What I remember most about McBirneys was their vacuum tube system for moving money from the shop floor to accounts. I remember them putting money into a cylinder, and putting it into the tube - could it have been the case that the counters didn't have individual tills (I'm a bit hazy on that!).

Thanks gipi. It still doesn't ring any bells for me but great to hear your stories.

I think I was probably just too young. I remember the marble stairs in Brown Thomas, and the small Arnotts store in Grafton St so I'm not a young'in but I just can't picture the interior of McBirney's.

steveone · 03-02-2013 1:13pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Any memories of that shop. I remember it being there and was in it but just can't picture the interior at all.

was caught up in a bombscare in there once.

steveone · 03-02-2013 1:18pm

Ilace centre... was that the five stars pub?
was there a market arcade thing at the top of moore street facing Waldens ( another shop thats gone... capri's in the window) I have vague memories of one but can't be sure.

mccullough piggots on suffolk street, Huge musical instruments shop
Mcnieve music in the ILAC
Music maker in mary's abbey..
the shop at the corner of parnell street that had a full suit of armour in it....

Colonel Sanders · 05-02-2013 6:39pm

Live in Dublin but from Wexford so not sure many people will get these.....

Greenacres used to be where Boots is
Archers pub before half of Redmond Square was taken over by Sam Macauley's
Pettitts on south Main Street. Became a soccer goods shop for a very brief period & can't actually remember what's there now
Trax used to be a video shop where I used to rent old WWF wrestling videos for a pound!
Can't remember Redmond Square without Dunnes, can anyone shed any light? Ditto 1798 street!
Mike Reedy's (spelling??) and a driving test centre in St Aidan's has been replaced by houses

So many more!!

mtjm · 05-02-2013 7:59pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

HMV Grafton st Dublin - used to be Woolworth's .

Don't you mean HMV Henry Street? don't remember 2 of them in the area, only knew of one on Henry Street as my mate who used to love going in there often said it was at that street

I'm open to correction here

P. Breathnach · 05-02-2013 9:33pm

mtjm wrote: »

...
I'm open to correction here

Correction duly offered!

C.K Dexter Haven · 05-02-2013 9:59pm

mtjm wrote: »

Don't you mean HMV Henry Street? don't remember 2 of them in the area, only knew of one on Henry Street as my mate who used to love going in there often said it was at that street

I'm open to correction here

May well have been one in Henry st but It was Grafton st branch I was referring to.

mtjm · 05-02-2013 10:09pm

Ah yes, sorry so both Woolworths were in the same location as the HMV's

demanufactured · 06-02-2013 1:32am

LiamMc wrote: »

When I read the thread title, Woolworths was shop I was thinking of. Probably the first time I was on an excolator/

A what???

D-FENS · 06-02-2013 3:46pm

Wasn’t Supermac’s in O’Connell street once a KFC and before that Dunkin Donuts?..

frankosw · 06-02-2013 8:12pm

D-FENS wrote: »

Wasn’t Supermac’s in O’Connell street once a KFC and before that Dunkin Donuts?..

Pretty sure it was also a Wimpy,Burgerland,Old Kentucky,King Burger and Pat Grace's Famous Chicken.

Speedsie · 06-02-2013 8:22pm

Slyne's Grafton Street --> (something) --> Dunkin Donuts --> Boodles
Monument Creamery Grafton St --> Jonathan's (??) --> Burger King

The wooden horse was in O'Callaghan's which was a tenant in the old Brown Thomas (where M&S is now), and I think that it was a branch of Selfridge's before it became BTs.

Todd Byrnes, Mary Street --> Penny's

Speedsie · 06-02-2013 8:24pm

Dockerell's Hardware, Grafton St --> A-wear --> BT2

The Royal Scam · 06-02-2013 8:34pm

steveone wrote: »

dempseys music salon eh.on the top of capel street /parnell street junction is now.....gone? he was great for parts and bits of stuff I was (or more often than not- wasn't) looking for.

what was doctor quirkeys... is it still there or is there still a big hole?

i bought my first guitar here. I have yet to meet a man that smells more of onions than this man... I remember him looking a lot like David Kelly

C.K Dexter Haven · 06-02-2013 8:38pm

frankosw wrote: »

Pretty sure it was also a Wimpy,Burgerland,Old Kentucky,King Burger and Pat Grace's Famous Chicken.

Wasn't BurgerLand with the arched window on the 1st floor?

Here's a photo of the place I'm thinking of:

I think your right on the others but nearly sure Burgerland was in the premises with the arch.

steveone · 07-02-2013 1:26am

hey royal scam thats a great pic thanks!

frankosw · 07-02-2013 12:38pm

Burger king at the top of grafton st used to be a first floor restaurant with a balcony called the Pavillion...this is early 1980's.

gipi · 07-02-2013 9:52pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Wasn't BurgerLand with the arched window on the 1st floor?

Here's a photo of the place I'm thinking of:

I think your right on the others but nearly sure Burgerland was in the premises with the arch.

The premises with the arched window was the Sunflower Restaurant at one stage, one of the first Chinese Restaurants in the city (it was there in the 70s).

Speedsie · 08-02-2013 11:58am

gipi wrote: »

The premises with the arched window was the Sunflower Restaurant at one stage, one of the first Chinese Restaurants in the city (it was there in the 70s).

And before that it was the Rainbow Cafe....

And on Grafton St, the Cartoon Cinema (which showed cartoons & newsreels...) is now Karen Millen

C.K Dexter Haven · 09-02-2013 10:34pm

A great site below- captures the first pizza restaurants in Dublin through the years: includes Pizzaland in Grafton st. There was another outlet in O'connell st- opened 1976.

http://comeheretome.com/2013/01/14/dublins-first-pizzerias/

Nice photo here of Grafton St, maybe late 70s or v early 80s- Switzer's can be seen, as can RTV (Radio TV rentals?)

Can you spot the Hare Krishna in full-on conversation?

LiamMc · 10-02-2013 2:57pm

How late was Grafton Street pedestrianised was it as late as the early 1980's?

C.K Dexter Haven · 10-02-2013 6:16pm

LiamMc wrote: »

How late was Grafton Street pedestrianised was it as late as the early 1980's?

It was pedestrianised in the early 80s, the exact year escapes me- it was paved by the mid 1980s.

frankosw · 11-02-2013 1:23pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

It was pedestrianised in the early 80s, the exact year escapes me- it was paved by the mid 1980s.

It wasnt quite finished untill around 87 as i recall..one St patricks day a pitched battle between skinheads and mods resulted in piles of paving stones being used as missiles.

C.K Dexter Haven · 11-02-2013 8:33pm

frankosw wrote: »

It wasnt quite finished untill around 87 as i recall..one St patricks day a pitched battle between skinheads and mods resulted in piles of paving stones being used as missiles.

I've faint memory of that- thanks for the reminder.:)

Here's Brown Thomas on the correct side of the street- Golden Discs next door- it was unusual in that it was spread over two shops, either side of the small shopping Arcade:
Photo from 1986-

Big Nasty · 11-02-2013 11:49pm

Anyone here remember a charcoal black Lotus on display in Switzers for a short while in the early 80's. Think it was part of some competition?

CuppaCocoa · 13-02-2013 5:15pm

'Bartley Dunnes' where 'Break for the Border' is now. First gay pub I ever drank in. Very flamboyant clientele!

http://wheresgrandad.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/cure-5.jpg

C.K Dexter Haven · 13-02-2013 9:04pm

lilybarlean wrote: »

'Bartley Dunnes' where 'Break for the Border' is now. First gay pub I ever drank in. Very flamboyant clientele!

http://wheresgrandad.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/cure-5.jpg

Goths and Cure Heads were the norm also there. The trendies and rugger-buggers drank across the road in the William Tell Tavern.

admiralofthefleet · 14-02-2013 9:45pm

pull and bear on henry street is where our price music shop used to be

gipi · 17-02-2013 12:32am

As I headed out of Dublin on a bus this evening, I passed the Maldron Hotel on the corner of Granby Row and Dorset St.

Before the hotel was built (it had another name before Maldron), the building that was there housed the National Wax Museum, and before that it was the Plaza Cinerama.

I saw my first cinema film at the Plaza Cinerama, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (now that makes me feel old!!

)

steveone · 17-02-2013 12:58am

where was charlies bar?

The Royal Scam · 17-02-2013 11:15am

steveone wrote: »

where was charlies bar?

It was on Aungier Street. I think it and the building it used to be may be gone

frankosw · 18-02-2013 12:17pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Goths and Cure Heads were the norm also there. The trendies and rugger-buggers drank across the road in the William Tell Tavern.

Yep it was a bikers,goths and cure heads hang out after it stopped being a gaybar.

It went to the dogs eventually when it was constantly being raided by the cops because if it's "liberal" policy on drug use

There's actually a FB group called Bartlay Dunnes Reunion that host meetups every so often to releive those times.

C.K Dexter Haven · 18-02-2013 8:23pm

frankosw wrote: »

There's actually a FB group called Bartlay Dunnes Reunion that host meetups every so often to releive those times.

Must be quite an eclectic mix of characters there:D

The shops then before the shops now thread-Nationwide!

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