Old Athlone businesses

lt_cmdr_worf · 07-11-2009 3:46pm

Vanilla Garden no longer in Athlone Towncentre.

At the same time both Sligo and Kilkenny get HMVs.

I'd say in a year's time the ATC's fate will be the same as the old Texas centre.

von Smallhausen · 08-11-2009 1:22am

lt_cmdr_worf wrote: »

Vanilla Garden no longer in Athlone Towncentre.

At the same time both Sligo and Kilkenny get HMVs.

I'd say in a year's time the ATC's fate will be the same as the old Texas centre.

Yea they pulled out on Tuesday evening. Theres a new soap and candle place where Altimentio (think its spelled right) in the ATC and a gift shop where Pre mamon (Spelling aint the best) also in the ATC

walrusgumble · 23-11-2009 3:36am

BoB_BoT wrote: »

is Ricks even open any more? A few times I've passed with friends and consider going in for a pint, it's closed. The problem with the top part of Ricks is, once you get in, you're fine, but if you need to go to the loo, and if it was busy, you had to pass through a bottleneck of people that was normally just not worth the hassle.

just go out to the smoking area and go into the pub down stairs, harvey's much better pub (same owners i think)

lt_cmdr_worf · 07-12-2009 3:20pm

Irish Soap in ATC, also saw that in Galway. An art/hobby shop has replaced Shanique.

Another blast from the past - Judy Greene pottery in Belhavel, was there earlier in the decade I think.

BoB_BoT · 09-12-2009 11:12pm

Garbz seems to be gone too. Well the shop unit is up for lease.

flazio · 31-12-2009 12:30pm

One that I doubt too many tears will be shed over it's demise,
The McDonalds across from Golden Island has a planning notice for intent for a change from Restaurant to Banking premises.
Odd that, despite the poor reputation it does pick up a lot of shoppers.

lt_cmdr_worf · 17-01-2010 11:55am

Esprit and Bentley furniture, gone in the last two weeks.

United Colours of Benetton moving in to where Esprit was (saw the sign on front)

Also Zavvi's lights were switched on and activity going on inside on Friday.

Also, Snoooz & Shoes, in Left Bank, closing down sale this month.

L.Jenkins · 17-01-2010 4:51pm

lt_cmdr_worf wrote: »

Esprit and Bentley furniture, gone in the last two weeks.

United Colours of Benetton moving in to where Esprit was (saw the sign on front)

Also Zavvi's lights were switched on and activity going on inside on Friday.

Also, Snoooz & Shoes, in Left Bank, closing down sale this month.

Sadly I couldnt see Snooze surviving! The price for most of there good where unf**king real expensive! Like a simple light all fancied up costing €100 +

cena · 23-01-2010 2:53pm

is there somthing going into were zavvi was. would be nice if hmv came

mr_edge_to_you · 23-01-2010 3:35pm

we'd never be that lucky!

L.Jenkins · 23-01-2010 3:38pm

I loved zavvi when they where here and how cheap it was! Awful pity they closed down!

mr_edge_to_you · 23-01-2010 5:38pm

i love going into hmv and picking up fresh copies of old cd's which are scratched beyond use and slapping them into the cd player on the way home. 3 for €20 - those kind of deals.

I hate downloads! Restore the CD to its former glory! Love going in to the big record shops and browsing away for half an hour.

flazio · 03-03-2010 10:46pm

Latest victim in Golden Island is The Jean Scene

demanufactured · 05-03-2010 1:26am

Permanent TSB in golden island is moving to where mcdonalds is.

Saint_Mel · 06-03-2010 2:09pm

flazio wrote: »

Latest victim in Golden Island is The Jean Scene

Finally!!! Feels like they have been advertising last week of closing sale since about a week after they opened

paddyandy · 26-03-2010 1:28am

1950s rouses chemists mardykest ,the music box(records) the lyons den ,egans irishtown,foys for toys,tommy caseys prefab top assumption rd gone.Adelphi, the cyclists rest,caseys supply store,morans butchers,the arcade,grenhams grocers, galvins hogans,

demanufactured · 26-03-2010 2:58am

paddyandy wrote: »

1950s rouses chemists mardykest ,the music box(records) the lyons den ,egans irishtown,foys for toys,tommy caseys prefab top assumption rd gone.Adelphi, the cyclists rest,caseys supply store,morans butchers,the arcade,grenhams grocers, galvins hogans,

That was hard to read.

valz08 · 07-04-2010 2:29pm

latest victim is Adams childrens clothes shop

smulliga · 19-05-2010 11:25am

Connaught Street from 1970's, starting from top of Pearse Street.
Mary Fitzgeralds Sweet shop. (GONE)
Walls Clothes shop. (GONE)
Paddy's Lamb / Mulligans butcher shop. (GONE)
Lysters pub. (GONE)
McGuires pub. (GONE)
Keoghs sweet shop. (GONE)
Egans chip shop. (GONE)
Lyons?? insurance. (GONE)
Murry's pub. (GONE)

Car Park

Whytes bicycle shop??? (GONE)
Fitzgeralds fish mungers. (GONE)
?????
Kenny's VG supermarket. (GONE)
Mc Graths pub.
Myers Dentist. (GONE)
Hardymans bicycle shop. (GONE)
O'Meara's butcher. (GONE)
Foyes tackle shop. (GONE)
Bakery.
Tara House pub.
Walshs pub grocery.

End Street
Other side from Battery end.

Saint_Mel · 19-05-2010 12:04pm

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Finally!!! Feels like they have been advertising last week of closing sale since about a week after they opened

Actually I just noticed that Jean Scene its open again under a different name

leck · 18-04-2016 10:20am

I know this is about recent "old shops" but does anyone know where Macken's Drapery was on Church St, Athlone?

Doing a bit of family history research and found a cousin working as a draper's assistant in 1911 at Macken Drapery, Church St, Athlone. It looks like a sizeable business with the owner Mary Macken (draper, 63, widow) and five assistants (four sons, one daughter and three others) plus a servant. Wondering if this might be where the present-day Burgess shop now stands.

guylikeme · 18-04-2016 10:51am

leck wrote: »

I know this is about recent "old shops" but does anyone know where Macken's Drapery was on Church St, Athlone?

Doing a bit of family history research and found a cousin working as a draper's assistant in 1911 at Macken Drapery, Church St, Athlone. It looks like a sizeable business with the owner Mary Macken (draper, 63, widow) and five assistants (four sons, one daughter and three others) plus a servant. Wondering if this might be where the present-day Burgess shop now stands.

Macken shop was next to the Bottleneck pub. Think its a Cafe now (Torc). Used to get packs of Mentos there as a kid

Mearings · 18-04-2016 11:48am

guylikeme wrote: »

Macken shop was next to the Bottleneck pub. Think its a Cafe now (Torc). Used to get packs of Mentos there as a kid

No, Macken's drapery was in Church Street. It was run by Kevin Macken in the '50s.

The shop was next to Fleming's chemist shop & Coyle's bar/grocery. It was bought by Heatons and is now a beauty shop with an Indian restaurant on the 1st floor.

Bizzylady · 18-04-2016 4:21pm

I think Mackens is now Corner House Bistro - well worth a visit - definitely not Burgess which is in the same location since 1839!

leck · 18-04-2016 7:29pm

The 1931 Trade Directory on from-ireland.net lists three Macken businesses in Athlone:
Macken J. 7 Mardyke st Grocers Athlone
Macken P. 14 Church st Drapers Athlone
Macken J. 26 King st Boot Merchants Athlone

The one I'm interested in is the draper at 14 Church St.- not sure if the street numbers are still the same. The 1911 census describes it as a 15-room building with 11 windows in front. The proprietor at that time was Mary Macken.

Zubeneschamali · 19-04-2016 3:32pm

leck wrote: »

The one I'm interested in is the draper at 14 Church St.

You can just about make out MACKEN on a shop front at right in this pic from before 1914:
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000318787

reverse view (can't make out the shop name, but it is on the left just beyond Flemings)
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000316211

Here is the OSI 25" map from 1912.

In Google Streetview, you can see that this bit of the street was redeveloped in 1990.

snmmcm · 13-11-2022 5:03am

My father, Keviin Macken, sold the business around 1969. This photo is from around 1920. I think Mary Macken is 2nd from right.

Rikand · 14-11-2022 11:49pm

Its about 10 years now since techstore / the netcafe is gone. In the unit beside Rayners. Great spot. I worked in it for over 10 years.

Anesthetize · 16-11-2022 9:29pm

I used to visit Netcafe just to go on MySpace, because my dial-up internet at home was terrible. I miss the 00's.

Another good spot was E-Fusion, across the road from AIT where the bookmakers beside Charlie Browns was later. It was only open for a year I think. It had Alienware PCs, and I had some nice gaming sessions in there with some mates from college.

mmgtv · 07-02-2023 11:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119867944#Comment_119867944

Wondering if you would have any old photos of the Macken family from Church Street. I have a request from great grand daughter of Bernard & Mary Macken looking for info.

Lewis_Benson · 08-02-2023 1:36am

Retreat Stores

Seamy Nugents

Late N Early

The Cova

Dial A Video

The Greenhouse

DH Burke

Pockets

The Diner

rn · 22-03-2023 7:17pm

On connacht Street

Brodick shoe shop (I think that was name)

The American Fry takeaway

Dooleys grocery on connacht Street

And there was a newsagents/stationery beside that.

Further up the street VG supermarkets

Rikand · 22-03-2023 9:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120388893#Comment_120388893

Newsagents was Welsh's I think. My dad used to get the paper in there every morning. Shoe shop was Paddy McKevitts. Brodericks was there too, but I forget what that was

TheRiverman · 22-03-2023 9:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389264#Comment_120389264

I think Brodericks was a bakery.

Rikand · 22-03-2023 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389273#Comment_120389273

bakery was what I had in mind too.

Mention of the AMerican Fry has just reminded me of heading up at lunchtime from Aloysius and getting the Sausage Special, extra Sausage!

veryangryman · 23-03-2023 5:17pm

Cloonans->Biddy Mulligans-Richard Graces-> Biddys Teach Steig->Robs Ranch-house (still open AFAIK)

Claw Hammer · 05-04-2023 3:31pm

Joe Scanlons.

thalia_13 · 10-09-2023 8:55pm

What happened to that Lolly Thai place?

batman75 · 10-10-2023 11:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094186#Comment_121094186

Gone a while now. Used to be a Chinese for years.

thalia_13 · 27-10-2023 10:45pm

Yea used to be imperial many moons ago, but was really curious as to why the lolly thai closed, it was barely any length open, seemed they were doing the exterior for ages only for it to close really swiftly... I'm a nosey hole I was wondering what happened

snmmcm · 08-05-2024 3:31am

There were 3 sons and one daughter. Kevin inherited Church st shop and house, Brian, the eldest, became a civil engineer in Donegal, Paddy Joe ran a soft drinks distribution business.

01-02-2011_039.jpg

01-02-2011_039-1.jpg

Marie died at 21 years of age in 1948. Not many photos I'm afraid.

veryangryman · 21-05-2024 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121292651#Comment_121292651

Conspiracy theorist me but anywhere like that (and the many phone shops in every town centre) just scream "a front for something else"

Lewis_Benson · 31-05-2024 1:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122164188#Comment_122164188

Good time sexy massage?

veryangryman · 01-06-2024 3:29pm

SOme rebuilding going on where Charlie brownes was. I'm told its apartments and not a bar. Anyone confirm?

Ninesell · 02-06-2024 10:48am

The planning permission granted was to construct a new public house.

Ninesell · 02-06-2024 10:52am

There was planning granted for new apartments next to The Tack Room.

Lewis_Benson · 02-06-2024 11:18am

PJ Byrne Hardware on the square.

Or as it was known, Byrne's's

cml387 · 24-06-2024 11:59am

Was/is there a pub in Athlone called Tony Hughes? Could anyone tell me where it was. I'm looking at an old diary from 1982 and it seems that was a common spot.

mr_edge_to_you · 30-06-2024 9:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297277#Comment_122297277

Is that the pub that's down the bottom of Northgate St (opposite St Mary's Hall).

cml387 · 01-07-2024 4:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122323369#Comment_122323369

Thanks, yes, that was it. It was the closest to my first flat in Athlone.😄

Old Athlone businesses

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