Blanchardstown Centre - history of tenants

daymobrew · 18-01-2013 1:15pm #1

With the frequent changing of shops in the Blanch Centre I thought that it would be interesting to make a list of the tenants that were in each unit.

If I copied the list of the current shops from the Blanch Centre site, are there people out there with good memories about previous shops?

I'd consider creating a small web site with the information.

iMADEtheBBC · 18-01-2013 1:39pm

There as a comic book shop for a while. I seem to remember it was where the Watch Shop is now. There was an Ann Summers for a while until the protest. I think it was where River Island is now.

You should do a floor plan but don't forget there were about three different building projects since it opened.

arigold365 · 18-01-2013 1:52pm

I loved the record store next to the Games Workshop in the yellow entrance, they also sold New Rock boots

iMADEtheBBC · 18-01-2013 2:07pm

What was it? A Golden Discs? I can't remember. I think the Virgin and HMV shops pretty much put it out of business.

arigold365 · 18-01-2013 2:30pm

I think it was called Championship Vinyl, the owner Rob was a sound guy and used to let us just hang out

Think he set up his own record label after the shop shut down

daymobrew · 18-01-2013 3:40pm

iMADEtheBBC wrote: »

You should do a floor plan but don't forget there were about three different building projects since it opened.

My biggest concern would be where units were split or joined e.g. Argos split into Nandos and TBD.

arigold365 · 18-01-2013 3:47pm

I too would worry about that Daymobrew, not sure we're quite ready for that

Whats you're favourite D15 retail area anecdote Daymo? You must have some good ones

iMADEtheBBC · 18-01-2013 4:10pm

daymobrew wrote: »

My biggest concern would be where units were split or joined e.g. Argos split into Nandos and TBD.

There'll be plans down at the centre. You could probably get them via email.

daymobrew · 18-01-2013 4:43pm

iMADEtheBBC wrote: »

There'll be plans down at the centre. You could probably get them via email.

I was more thinking about organising the data - I was thinking about a WordPress site (I use WordPress for all the sites I do these days) and how to set it up for splits.
I might use a category for the section (red/green/yellow/west end etc) and tags for the unit number. Custom Post Types for the unit information, with the business name as the page title, a start and end date etc. But I digress into nerdy details here.

iMADEtheBBC · 18-01-2013 6:56pm

Sounds cool. Post it here when it's up.
I remember when the center opened. Trying to think of all the shops that were there.

jeffk · 18-01-2013 9:18pm

A great idea , i always said id love to see what came and went .

Gaspode · 19-01-2013 1:05am

Not sure whether to excited or saddened by this thread! (Sorry OP)

daymobrew · 19-01-2013 7:57am

Gaspode wrote: »

Not sure whether to excited or saddened by this thread! (Sorry OP)

I know what you mean. A high number of former tenants will reflect the high rents in the centre. I don't envy that burden that tenants have to carry.

JoePie · 19-01-2013 2:22pm

I've been going to that shopping centre since day one and I definitely do not remember a record store or comic book shop. That's not to say that thet were never there.

Spent a large part of my youth in Games Workshop. Sad to see it go. Met some of my best friends in there, who I'm still friends with to this day. I knew a lot of the staff as well, outside of GW (relations of friends and from around the area and such), up until around 2006 when I fell out of the hobby.

There;s the obvious anyway. Roches Stores, Virgin, The 101 different shops where Grafton Barbers is now, and of course La Croissanterie. Damn fine food.

January · 19-01-2013 4:13pm

Principles where Miss Selfridges is now (I think) and Accesorize used to be in the unit beside Dunnes Stores upstairs.

ongarboy · 19-01-2013 5:25pm

This type of thread really brings out the trivia nerd in me!!!:D

Let's start with a few:
prior/current

Roches Stores/Supervalu/Debenhams
Virgin/Schuh
Sheepskin Shop/Carphone Warehouse
Adams/Pumpkin Patch
Next/H&M
Fosters/D2/Republic
Timberland/Mexx
Butchers/Starbucks
Pizza Hut/KFC
Bewleys/Roasters/Kays
Boots downstairs/McCabes
McCabes/Specsavers
Esprit/JD Sports
Topman/Boots
Benetton/Topshop

I'm sure there are more I could remember but that's what I can recall for now.

amdublin · 19-01-2013 11:21pm

I don't remember the comic shop or record shop either! (not to say they werent there!)

I love the aerial photos in the hallway of the upstairs loos, from 1995 onwards showing the green field site and all the development onwards - initial building and all the extensions.

Anyone know these pics?

JupiterKid · 20-01-2013 6:56am

Wasn't there also a bargain bookshop on the lower floor (red mall) behind the travelators? Can't remember its name but it appears to be no more.

mojesius · 20-01-2013 7:04am

There was a ladies fashion boutique called 'golden spiderweb' either where the body shop is now or else just beside it.

Did 'the jean scene' downstairs get turned into a diesel or Levi shop or something like that?

I spent my teenage years in Kay's kitchen

Morag · 20-01-2013 11:22am

Supervalue in the lower floor section of Roches stores.

miamee · 20-01-2013 11:29am

Remember All Rooms downstairs, I think where Aldo is now?

The Waltzing Consumer · 20-01-2013 11:35am

I can't believe no one mentioned Borders yet, the only shop I was really annoyed when it closed.

I also remember the Tattoo and Piercing shop beside Vigin, so it would be where Schuh is.

January · 20-01-2013 11:35am

JupiterKid wrote: »

Wasn't there also a bargain bookshop on the lower floor (red mall) behind the travelators? Can't remember its name but it appears to be no more.

Books unlimited.

The diesel shop was where inglot is now but not sure if there was anything else there before that

Arciphel · 20-01-2013 11:40am

I remember all rooms, it's where Name It is now I think? I remember when we moved into our first house I think everything came from All Rooms. What a great shop.

I remember when HMV used to be there :-(

amdublin · 20-01-2013 1:11pm

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

I can't believe no one mentioned Borders yet, the only shop I was really annoyed when it closed.

I also remember the Tattoo and Piercing shop beside Vigin, so it would be where Schuh is.

There was a tattoo parlour in the towncentre

I don't remember that!

ongarboy · 20-01-2013 5:08pm

January wrote: »

Books unlimited.

The diesel shop was where inglot is now but not sure if there was anything else there before that

Inglot was called Counter Propoganda for a while too (got some great teeshirts there that I still wear years later!)

Omackeral · 20-01-2013 5:52pm

ongarboy wrote: »

Inglot was called Counter Propoganda for a while too (got some great teeshirts there that I still wear years later!)

Lovely threads in that store. I bought a T-Shirt in there back in 2005 for about 45-50 Euro. I am an awful person, caused the recession with that purchase.

What about Oddbins Off License over in Westend Retail? A decent shop with great choice. Also meant you didnt need to go into the centre proper.

Omackeral · 20-01-2013 5:57pm

Oh another I'm remembering is Sports Division. It used to occupy the JJB Sports unit over on the PC World Side. Reason I recall this is that Roy Keane did an autograph session over there in 1997. Used to love the smell of all the bike wheels in the upstairs part.

I was a weird child.

Morag · 20-01-2013 6:18pm

The crazy soap shop on the upper level where the crystal shop is now.

January · 20-01-2013 6:30pm

amdublin wrote: »

There was a tattoo parlour in the towncentre

I don't remember that!

Yeah they did piercings (I'm not too sure about tattoos?) and sold jewelry and incense and stuff like that...

The unit between Mannings and the watch shop is always changing too.

Omackeral · 20-01-2013 10:45pm

Jeez another massive one we're forgetting (recent too) is Tommy's becoming Mr. Price...

Blanchardstown Centre - history of tenants

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