Tabacconist & Spirits Retailer in Waterford City Centre

kimmybobkim

Anyone know the story with the shop in the city center with all the old bottles of whiskey and such in the window is?

My Girlfriend and I were doing a bit of shopping and were thinking of getting an old bottle of whiskey as a present for someone and had been passing this shop loads of times before decided to go in and see what they had.

Walked up to the door and it was locked even though it had an open sign up. It was middle of the day on a Monday, A gentleman came to the door and opened it on a chain, asked what we wanted? I said we would like to have a look, he said no and closed the door and locked it again! Straightened up his open sign and walked off.

I don't know what sort of attitude that was to have with a customer???
Has anyone else got a similar experience or bought anything from there? I did consider he might be a grumpy old fella who was blind and taught the sign said closed since he had sunglasses on inside a very dark looking shop.
But was still not a very nice attitude to have.

Asmodean

That poor guy got an awful beating last year, I don't know if that's the reason he's so sour or whether he has always been like that. For as long as I can remember it's been one of those shops that serves as more of a decoration than anything else, like Larkins in Blackfriars. I don't think I've ever seen any actual customers in there. He is blind by the way.

kimmybobkim

Thanks for the information Asmodean. I did think it was very peculiar, hopefully someone who knows him will read this and swing his sign around the other way to say closed.

wmpdd3

For my fathers 50th birthday 10 years ago, I went in there for a hip flask. The guy spent 1hr telling me stories about how a woman wouldn't have been allowed inside the door way back when. He picked out a flask for me and recommended a bottle of whiskey, that I have only ever seen in that shop. he couldn't have been more helpful. I was shocked when i heard he was beaten up. Glad he was able to go back to work.

OP, I presume its the shopin georges street, down from Argos you mean and not Downs' offie.

kimmybobkim

Yeah the one beside Argos!
Was he blind back then or was that something to do with being attacked?
Such a central location, you think it crazy for him to have been attacked!
That said Waterford city has gotten a lot rougher over the years, or maybe its my wiser eye!

rude awakening

I do remember seeing that story in the paper a few years back about him getting a beating, horrible and pointless.
But in an unrelated matter I remember we had a tobacconist on the same street (I believe where Pinky is, or just beside the Dresser).
I used to buy wallets and wallet chains in there(propper ones)
I think since that shop went Waterford is missing that kind of shop and made a big loss when it went.

kimmybobkim

Out of interest anyone got a link to the newspaper article. Also from what wmpdd3 says i wonder is it becuase i had my girlfriend with me?

Professey Chin

Can you actually have a license to sell alcohol when youre blind?

Asmodean

Yeah he's been blind for as long as I know of him anyway. I think Phelans was the deadly pipe/tobacco shop. Pity it's not there now when I would be of legal age to peruse its wares!

There we go, took a bit of trawling but I pulled it from the thread on here that surrounded the incident.

http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/robbed-blind-man-needed-60-stitches/

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055371174&highlight=blind

Can you actually have a license to sell alcohol when youre blind?

Good point actually. Even as a kid I found it fascinating how you could operate a shop as a blind person and not have the place robbed/vandalised.

Happened over 2 years now, jesus time flies if anyone had asked I would have said 1 year max.

Bol_Whelan

This is the place



Not sure that he sells very much at all. There is actually a bar at the back and he lets folk well known to him in for a drink. Anytime I have tried to get in he always turns me away.

I remember a few years back he was spotted at the top of a ladder cleaning the shop windows. His white sick was placed within easy reach at the bottom. :eek:

dayshah

Phelans Tobacconist was great. More than just a tobacconist. It sold fancy chocolate (before it became more commonplace), wallets, swiss army knives and even a hairdresser in the back!!!

I think the man in the off licence is weary of the younger crowd, so wouldn't allow people in just for a look.

I went their to get some beer when I was about 18. I asked for Heineken or Budweiser, but he said he didn't stock those particular brands. It is funny that a blind person has a licence to sell alcohol, but as you have to sound about fifty to be allowed in there is no risk of sales to the underage.

Here is some info
http://www.ciddytours.com/pubs_waterford.php ( you can click on the picture 3 across 3 down).

CantGetNoSleep

What is the story with P Larkins? there always seems to be people in there but I have never actually seen anything in the shop that they could possibly sell?

longshanks

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

What is the story with P Larkins? there always seems to be people in there but I have never actually seen anything in the shop that they could possibly sell?

p larkins is waterfords, and possibly the worlds, only vegetarian butcher shop

Faq

As far as i know he only sell's to his regulars people more people his generation

honeybadger

longshanks wrote: »

p larkins is waterfords, and possibly the worlds, only vegetarian butcher shop

i rember seeing the biggest turkey i ever seen in there window years ago,i dont how who ever bought it could have cooked it in a normal oven unless they worked in a hotel or someting like that or chopped it up and had a few xmas partys out of it ,,it was at least 6 times the size of a large turkey,when it was alive it had to be a monster even thinking now was it a skinned ostrich he had in the window

CantGetNoSleep

longshanks wrote: »

p larkins is waterfords, and possibly the worlds, only vegetarian butcher shop

They don't seem to sell vegetables either though?

eiresandra

Judging from the posts here, I feel kinda priviliged that I was sold a naggin of vodka once in this establishment. Maybe I look old?!

Groinshot

eiresandra wrote: »

Maybe I SOUND old?!

he's blind, don't forget