Memory Lane - businesses in Longford town

gingernut79

Having a wander round town yesterday, the turnover of businesses seems to be getting quicker and quicker. Has any one any pictures or stories of Longford shops and businesses that have gone by the wayside? Remember Weaver's Knot in the shopping centre, Brendan's Newsagent, Big Mama's cafe, Connolly Bros Toyshop at the end of Dublin St.?

ballsymchugh

that's not memory lane!
what about cameron's that used to be where the permanent tsb is? or razzmatazz that was where supermacs is now. was rebuilt to the misty midlands! i just about remember them!

davehey79

gaffneys where xtravision is too !! beer kits and taytos and sweets so long on the window they were discolored beyond recognition !!

gingernut79

ah yes vaguely remember misty midlands. pub where xtravision is now - what was that called?

the old cinema?

Quinnsworth where Mollaghans is now? with a lifestyle sports in it.

woods and ledwiths newsagents where tally weijl / obriens are

what was razzmatazz?

ballsymchugh

davehey79 wrote: »

gaffneys where xtravision is too !! beer kits and taytos and sweets so long on the window they were discolored beyond recognition !!

what was the pub before xtravision? brendan lynn owned it and did up gaffneys. was one of the nicest shop fronts in the town before xtravision bought it and destroyed it. bodhran i think, but not sure.
razzmatazz was just a clothes shop i think.

silver campaign

Yea it was called the bodhran allright. Brendan had a spell in Kellys Newsagents on the Dublin road too.

Anyone remember Fortes restaurant?
Mr Blobbys was a regular lunch time chipper for us aswell.

gingernut79

silver campaign wrote: »

Yea it was called the bodhran allright. Brendan had a spell in Kellys Newsagents on the Dublin road too.

Anyone remember Fortes restaurant?
Mr Blobbys was a regular lunch time chipper for us aswell.

Jeez Mr. Blobby's! I used to cringe every time I saw that shopfront.

Was in Fortes a couple of times. Wasnt it called Tea House Forte? Not a very successful premises since. I used to like the internet cafe upstairs there.

there used to be a cafe on Ballymahon st round where Paddy Power (or some other betting shop) is now. Cant think of the name. To the right of Easons (Newsround!) as you'd be looking at it anyway.

The furniture man in the old Market House. The old Woods supervalu on Ballymahon St.

garfieldsghost

I was looking through some family photos at the weekend and came across a few taken in my dad's old shop, which he had during the '80s and early '90s. It was called Venture 1 and was located where Keogh's bar is now. I think it was the first shop in town to specialise in computers (everything from ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s, right through to Amstrad word processors) and computer games, and other 'cutting edge' technology (at the time) like fax machines, etc.

Next door was an amusement arcade and Gannon's butchers was at the end of the row (where the Polish barber shop is now).

MDFM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

that's not memory lane!
what about cameron's that used to be where the permanent tsb is? or razzmatazz that was where supermacs is now. was rebuilt to the misty midlands! i just about remember them!

Camerons wasnt where permanent tsb, it was further back up main street, somewhere between where Kellihers (pub, now spar) used to be and Kenny's shop. I rem Razzmatazz, it wasnt where supermacs is, it was in fact down around the permanent tsb area. I also rem when the misty midlands used to be a supermarket (cannot rem the name though)..
anyone rem the old cinema, mastersons jewellers, rawles shop, greggs pub?

gingernut79

Was Camerons in where the Irish Nationwide is?

Rawles shop isnt that long gone, would only ever be in it before the cinema.

That old cinema was some hole, but sure I suppose it was grand at the time. I liked the shop out the front it had a nice old timey feel to it. The last film I saw in it was Michael Collins. I often heard people on about rats in it but I never saw them.

baldbear

gingernut79 wrote: »

That old cinema was some hole, but sure I suppose it was grand at the time. I liked the shop out the front it had a nice old timey feel to it. The last film I saw in it was Michael Collins. I often heard people on about rats in it but I never saw them.

Jaysus that old cinema was dirty. 2 screens and a little kind of tuck shop there with a wooden counter i think, no popcorn back them days.

I remember the "House full" sign on the front when i went to see the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I was sickened.

There used to be a pet shop there across from the cinema, beside is it Rawles? I saw a sweet shop there recently selling old fashioned suckie sweets and the likes.:)

Otis Driftwood

Remember Mr Video?

Videos in front,arcade in the back,awesome.

Also,the arcade that used to be where Dalton Auctioneers is now.

Manys a weeks pocket money was wasted in there!

ballsymchugh

MDFM wrote: »

Camerons wasnt where permanent tsb, it was further back up main street, somewhere between where Kellihers (pub, now spar) used to be and Kenny's shop. I rem Razzmatazz, it wasnt where supermacs is, it was in fact down around the permanent tsb area. I also rem when the misty midlands used to be a supermarket (cannot rem the name though)..
anyone rem the old cinema, mastersons jewellers, rawles shop, greggs pub?

i was himming and hawing about which was which. are you sure camerons was where kenny's is? i remember kenny's original shop was burnt down but rebuilt in the same place.

mr video.... video at the front, arcade, fireworks and lots of other stuff at the back too!!
mastersons jewellers... poor man's building was condemned after a big crack appeared when they were building next door to him.

garfieldsghost

Otis Driftwood wrote: »

Remember Mr Video?

Videos in front,arcade in the back,awesome.

Also,the arcade that used to be where Dalton Auctioneers is now.

Manys a weeks pocket money was wasted in there!

There was also Videobox on Dublin St...

Just thinking about some other businesses that have gone/moved... anyone remember Woods' Mace supermarket on Ballymahon St? Or the old warehouse on the Market Square where the Centra/UDC offices are now?

Also, while I was walking down Main St today I saw that the premises where Café au Lait used to be is vacant again. I remember that place used to be so busy it was virtually impossible to ever find a free table...

SeanW

A couple of doors up from Newsround (Now Easons) upstairs was a movie and video game rental shop called Movieland. I used to rent lots of NES games there. Those were the days.

It closed in the mid-late 1990s.

silver campaign

garfieldsghost wrote: »

There was also Videobox on Dublin St...

Just thinking about some other businesses that have gone/moved... anyone remember Woods' Mace supermarket on Ballymahon St? Or the old warehouse on the Market Square where the Centra/UDC offices are now?

Also, while I was walking down Main St today I saw that the premises where Café au Lait used to be is vacant again. I remember that place used to be so busy it was virtually impossible to ever find a free table...

Yea I think fortes ran that aswell. Theres a serious shortage of decent cafes in the town centre now. There are plenty of restaurants, but nowhere you can go in and buy a decent takeaway sandwich, apart from petrol stations and esquires on the edge of town. O'briens sandwich bar seemed to open and close about 5 times. Sambos was great for that, pity they got taken over by another multinational fast food joint pretending to be good for you!

Otis Driftwood

SeanW wrote: »

A couple of doors up from Newsround (Now Easons) upstairs was a movie and video game rental shop called Movieland. I used to rent lots of NES games there. Those were the days.

It closed in the mid-late 1990s.

It was yer one that has the music centre (now at the top of new street) that used to have movieland.I too used to rent snes games.They also had a huuuuge selection of WWF videos.

/wipes nostalgic tear from eye

Spinx

I remember Chartbusters on Ballymahon Street. Also the Tangled Web pub down in Richmond Street. Great for getting a few underage pints!!:D Kiernans shop down Water Street heading towards St. Mels and the Dandy Diner where the Chinese Gourmet is now. Wigoders on the Market Square think it was a hardware store.

garfieldsghost

Just thinking of a few more:

Vaughan's Newsagents, the Longford Bookshop (now Easons on the opposite side of Ballymahon St.), Kelly's Pub, the Annaly Hotel, the Camlin Court Hotel, Heartbeat City, Scott's Shoes, Swift Signs...

And some businesses outside the town centre:

Hanlon's ambulance factory, Longford Textiles/Barbour Threads, Triad, Ten Cate, Fondermann, Wessel Cable/B3 Cable, Donlon's Ford dealership (where Lidl is now), the tyre centre in Teffia Park, O'Brien's shop (also in Teffia)...

There was also a factory on the site where Dunnes is now... don't know the name but I think it may have been a clothing factory?

davehey79

Heartbeat City is hardly a trip dowm memory lane though its only been closed a couple of years and wasnt a longford business to start with

garfieldsghost

davehey79 wrote: »

Heartbeat City is hardly a trip dowm memory lane though its only been closed a couple of years and wasnt a longford business to start with

It still fits in with what the OP outlined in their first post:

gingernut79 wrote: »

Having a wander round town yesterday, the turnover of businesses seems to be getting quicker and quicker. Has any one any pictures or stories of Longford shops and businesses that have gone by the wayside? Remember Weaver's Knot in the shopping centre, Brendan's Newsagent, Big Mama's cafe, Connolly Bros Toyshop at the end of Dublin St.?

Heartbeat City was a shop, in Longford, that's no longer there.

And, like many of the other shops mentioned in this thread, it's missed.

Deregos

garfieldsghost wrote: »

I was looking through some family photos at the weekend and came across a few taken in my dad's old shop, which he had during the '80s and early '90s. It was called Venture 1 and was located where Keogh's bar is now. I think it was the first shop in town to specialise in computers (everything from ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s, right through to Amstrad word processors) and computer games, and other 'cutting edge' technology (at the time) like fax machines, etc.

Next door was an amusement arcade and Gannon's butchers was at the end of the row (where the Polish barber shop is now).

Oh lordy . .I remember one of my first signwriting jobs was painting the name Venture 1 & possibly also Amstrad on to the front gable of that building for your dad . .I met him a few days ago & we were briefly reminiscing about that shop & how high tech it all seemed back then

If you have access to the pics & you get the chance you should fire a few of them up here just for the sheer hell of it.

In fact a thread of old nostalgic pics of shopfronts from our beloved little town might be a good idea.

garfieldsghost

Deregos wrote: »

Oh lordy . .I remember one of my first signwriting jobs was painting the name Venture 1 & possibly also Amstrad on to the front gable of that building for your dad . .I met him a few days ago & we were briefly reminiscing about that shop & how high tech it all seemed back then

If you have access to the pics & you get the chance you should fire a few of them up here just for the sheer hell of it.

In fact a thread of old nostalgic pics of shopfronts from our beloved little town might be a good idea.

Oh yeah... I'd forgotten about the Amstrad sign!

I think those photos are amongst a load my sister back to Dublin with her to have a look through... will try and post a few when I get them back.

garfieldsghost

Just remembered a few more businesses on Ballymahon St...

The Spinning Wheel, PV Fallon's restaurant (I think you had to head down the alleyway by O'Connor's florists to enter it) and a café called The Pantry (where there's an Indian restuarant now - upstairs along the same row as the other places just mentioned).

TellTalesIrl

From an non Longford person but Midlands person, my trips to Longford conjour up the market area which is still there, the cinema and a small bridge with a river through it. By all the posts above hasnt Longford had a thriving micro economy?

davehey79

you can see a few of the shopfornts we've been mentioning in this video of Mick Flavins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jn3i6iSuGc

ballsymchugh

where's aine's boutique nowadays? someone should nail her to one place. she's forever moving that feckin shop.

garfieldsghost

davehey79 wrote: »

you can see a few of the shopfornts we've been mentioning in this video of Mick Flavins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jn3i6iSuGc

Ha... forgot about the Guinness sign over the Kiosk!

(PS: I can't believe I thanked someone for posting a Mick Flavin video! )

garfieldsghost

Actually, that shot of the Kiosk reminded me that there used to be a restaurant called Mae Flanagan's upstairs, where the Chinese Gourmet is now.

Deregos

Just thought of that old gent 'Brady Brown's army surplus store' (wasn't he a captain in the army) which was at the top of Water Street for when you needed new DM's & combats with genuine bullet holes! . .

Then Wards shoe shop up town & of course Roger Wards hardware on Ballymahon Street . .
Rogie's was like an Aladdin's cave for everything that ever needed fixing or decorating . .even though the place wasn't even much bigger than the tardis . . it didn't stop him from always sorting you out with some sort of clever improvisation if he didn't have exactly what it was you were actually after. . .He should of been called Roger Mcgiver!

I was in his new shop out the Athlone rd a couple of weeks back & Rodgie came over to tell me he's finally calling it a day . .He's retiring & will be leasing out the shop from now on.

End of an era . .

Always number 1

My God this thread brings me back to my childhood/teenage days in Longford.
The Spinning Wheel is where I had my dinner on my Communion Day, there was the Salad Bowl (I think) restaurant where Herteriches is now.
Going to the Earl Inn to play pool at lunch time and hoping the nuns in the Convent didn't see us cavorting with the lads from Mels.
There was a little convenience store where Eamon Farrells photography is now, Fitzmaurices I think - used to do cream slices for 15p.
Someone mentioned Scotts shoes, Killeens shoes were there first. There was also Scotts hot bread shop beside the Post Office (where the health food shop is now) and a Kylemore in the shopping centre where O'Connells jewellers is.
Pat Higgins butchers on the Market Square. Rizzos hairdressers on the corner of Market Square/Earl Street. Is DBS (aka the dirty bun shop) still there?
Then the place just beside Luigis (that is now Abrakebabra) there were many different chippers/fast food places there over the years)

I could reminisce all evening...

garfieldsghost

Deregos wrote: »

Just thought of that old gent 'Brady Brown's army surplus store' (wasn't he a captain in the army) which was at the top of Water Street for when you needed new DM's & combats with genuine bullet holes!

I always regret never going into Brady Brown's because the building once belonged to my grandparents and they lived there for some time (long before I was born!)

Always number 1 wrote: »

My God this thread brings me back to my childhood/teenage days in Longford.
The Spinning Wheel is where I had my dinner on my Communion Day, there was the Salad Bowl (I think) restaurant where Herteriches is now.
Going to the Earl Inn to play pool at lunch time and hoping the nuns in the Convent didn't see us cavorting with the lads from Mels.
There was a little convenience store where Eamon Farrells photography is now, Fitzmaurices I think - used to do cream slices for 15p.
Someone mentioned Scotts shoes, Killeens shoes were there first. There was also Scotts hot bread shop beside the Post Office (where the health food shop is now) and a Kylemore in the shopping centre where O'Connells jewellers is.
Pat Higgins butchers on the Market Square. Rizzos hairdressers on the corner of Market Square/Earl Street. Is DBS (aka the dirty bun shop) still there?
Then the place just beside Luigis (that is now Abrakebabra) there were many different chippers/fast food places there over the years)

I could reminisce all evening...

DBS is closed now... I think the people who owned it now run the shop in the train station.

You're right about that place beside Luigi's... there's been lots of different fast food places there. The earliest business I can remember there was a pizzeria, then later it was the Texas Grill.

Another place I just thought of is Caslins on Earl St.

davehey79

where chans is now there used to be a pub the Europa if i recall correctly

Observer12

ballsymchugh wrote: »

that's not memory lane!
what about cameron's that used to be where the permanent tsb is? or razzmatazz that was where supermacs is now. was rebuilt to the misty midlands! i just about remember them!

If you want memory lane, I'm just about old enough as a very young child to remember the Castle which was replaced by the car park of Lyons' meat factory which was replaced by the White Elephant Shopping Centre I think it was demolished around '72 or so.

Dizraeligears

Bought a coat in Brady Brownes when I was a young fella.Big tweed yoke.
Slept in it many a night,lakes out of it...Indestructible it was,still have it too,somewhere.Could probably send it out to Japan to throw over one of those reactors,would sort it right out!
Anyway heres a few from down that end of town for ye.
Jenny Malones Bakery ,where the auto factor shop is now.
The original Quinnsworths where the Credit Union is
Lyons Pub where the cinema is now

Deregos

Its fairly tough to find any images to go along with this stroll down memory lane . .Longford style.

This one on Flickr must be I'm guessing early eighties featuring a bent signpost for Knock!

baldbear

That bar hasn't changed anyway but its closed now. I wonder is that McGuinness standining behind the pole!!!

Angron

Always number 1 wrote: »

There was also Scotts hot bread shop beside the Post Office (where the health food shop is now) and a Kylemore in the shopping centre where O'Connells jewellers is.

I remember that shop, I never went in though.. They still have a shop in Athlone's Golden Island I think.

I'm too young to know most of these places (I only moved to Longford around 1997/1998), but some do ring bells, like Newsround and Chartbusters.

davehey79

any one remember this trip back in time !!!

davehey79

heres some more to look at

garfieldsghost

davehey79 wrote: »

heres some more to look at

Great pics! Joe Lyons' hairstyle hasn't changed much in all that time!

ballsymchugh

Observer12 wrote: »

If you want memory lane, I'm just about old enough as a very young child to remember the Castle which was replaced by the car park of Lyons' meat factory which was replaced by the White Elephant Shopping Centre I think it was demolished around '72 or so.

yeah that's what i mean!!

is ron mullins still cutting hair in longford? i was home from england one weekend and decided to get a haircut so wandered around. saw he wasn't up to much so went in and got a haircut, although he seemed kinda annoyed that i didn't have an appointment so he gave me his card.
then when i went back to england and listened to the breakfast show on xfm. christian o'connell used to send out tshirts to any one who sent in a good email, so i came up with a great story. but because i had used my own name before i needed a different one, so found ron mullin's card and decided that'll do.
the next day, christian o'connell was about to read out the email when he said that ron mullins was one of the coolest names he ever heard, so i got a tshirt without him even reading the email i had made up!!
wahey!!

Deregos

Mighty Pics Dave . .But I can't get me bearings with this one . .What part of the town are we looking at here . .When was it taken & what was the occasion do you know?

ballsymchugh

i'd say that's a corpus christi procession turning off main street onto richmond street. just a guess though.

davehey79

ballsymchugh wrote: »

i'd say that's a corpus christi procession turning off main street onto richmond street. just a guess though.

thats what i thought meself. the pics aint mine there on FB on a lad from town that takes pics page. so have to credit him for the pics. Bernard "Doc" Doherty is his name.

ballsymchugh

davehey79 wrote: »

thats what i thought meself. the pics aint mine there on FB on a lad from town that takes pics page. so have to credit him for the pics. Bernard "Doc" Doherty is his name.

i wonder who the first doherty to call himself 'doc' was? he should've trademarked it or something!

Deregos

ballsymchugh wrote: »

i'd say that's a corpus christi procession turning off main street onto richmond street. just a guess though.

I had considered that lads. However (& you'll have to forgive my pedantry) the streetscape isn't right, the Ulster bank building being missing is the main giveaway, that photograph must of been taken sometime in the early sixties judging by the cars on view . . I think I'm seeing a white Consul Capri (circa 1961-64) in the procession. .yet no bank building.

Deregos

Heres an interesting find.

The McGuinness Collection

These photographs from the McGuinness Collection are shown here courtesy of Fionnbar Callanan, Mona Stanton, Niall Callanan and Richard D Callanan. They are the children of the late Richard J Callanan & Margaret McGuinness. Margaret lived with her uncle Frank McGuinness & his wife on Longford's Main Street from 1915. Over five hundred photgraphs in three albums make up this collection of political, millitary, paramilitary, social & family images mostly taken in and around Longford town between 1917 and 1922.


4 Main St. (Stenson's)


Threat signed 'The B&Ts' delivered to the Longford Main
Street premises of Frank McGuinness(pictured above)




Campaigning for the imprisoned Joe McGuinness, 1917, Longford
Main St. Mrs. Joe McGuinness(white flowers), on her right is Brighid
McGuinness, on her left is Brighid Lyons(glasses) behind
Maureen McGuinness

Boarded up now & boarded then!

Longford Boot & Shoe Company, 2 Main St. Proprietor Frank McGuinness, probably boarded up against threats by Black & Tans, 1920-21.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK0cLMKJhqE

Dizraeligears

What a fnd Deregos,crackin stuff in there.
Think youre right about the Corpus Christi pic.
Think theyre headin down Dublin St from Main St.Think I can see the wall of the Longford Arms and front of Courthouse back up the street...

gingernut79

Dizraeligears wrote: »

The original Quinnsworths where the Credit Union is

I was just walking by that the other night and wondered what used be there. I had no idea it was Quinnsworth!

gingernut79

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=longford&type=AllFields&submit=FIND