Jean's Journal: The last of our small shops

By Jean Farrell

When we were children, living in O’Connell Street, we rarely crossed the bridge.

Everything we needed could be bought in the many fine shops on the Connaught side of Athlone. However, there was one exception. My mother insisted that no sausages tasted as good as those made by Mr Horan, the pork butcher.

She wouldn’t dream of buying Denny, Clover or Roscrea sausages. When we were having a fry, one of us was despatched over to the far-side, to Horan’s pork butcher shop, in The Bawn, off Church Street.

Those of you who were not reared in Athlone will be surprised to note that Horan’s shop is in the right hand corner of the photograph used above. You’ll be wondering where the main shops in the picture have gone. That block of buildings was demolished many years ago.

As a young girl, it was a big novelty for me to walk along Church Street, on the far-side.

I’d pass The Genoa Café and get a delicious smell of their famous chips (1/3 a bag.) I’d pass Parsons two shoe shops and admire the stiletto heels in the windows. (Their young assistant, Ray Collins, probably hurried past me as he went between the two shops!).

I’d pass Price’s drapery shop and admire the lovely frocks in the window. I’d walk fast past the Protestant Church because Sister Dymphna said it was a sin to go near it.

I’d stand and gaze at the fancy men’s wear in The Man’s Shop. This was owned by Seamus O’Brien (known as Muscles!) Handsome young Liam McCormack, his assistant, might be inside! I knew that the manager of this shop was John Waldron. I’d wonder who bought the lovely shirts and trousers there.

This was because I never remember my father buying clothes! He had one ‘good’ suit forever, and every Christmas he got a new cardigan - from Santy! (I wonder where one could buy an ‘old-man’s cardigan’ nowadays.)

I loved Blacoe's jewellery shop, on the corner. All the necklaces and bracelets would be shining under bright lights. Engagements rings would have pride of place. To get engaged, back then, seemed to me to be so very romantic and exciting. It marked the beginning of the next stage of one’s life.

An aside: I met a woman on a train who told me that her daughter and boyfriend had a baby. Then they saved up and got married, eight months later. Very few attended their small wedding.

Then they saved up again and eighteen month later the husband had his stag party. They saved up for a few more months so as the wife could have her hen party. Next, they saved up for two years and were now having their big wedding reception.

The woman I met on the train was actually the mother-of-the-bride, on her way to this reception. Hopefully, in a year or two, they’ll have saved enough to go on their honeymoon, she told me. (This is a true story, honestly!) The mother, like myself, was fascinated at the sequence of events – unlike long ago!

Maybe they’ll save up to buy their engagement ring after their honeymoon. It’ll cost an awful lot more than the ones in Blacoe’s window, when I was young.

At that time, my father was a butcher, like Mr Horan. He, too, wore a white coat behind the counter, (washed weekly by The Connaught Laundry.) What fascinated me, in Horan’s, was that Mrs Horan also wore a white coat, as she served me my sausages. So, it was of great interest to read that she herself was a butcher. Fair play to her! I remember Mr and Mrs Horan as a very tall, friendly couple.

I am so sorry to see this fine shop close, as many of you are too.

I’m going to mention a few businesses which are still opened in town and are run by locals.

‘Athlone Printing’ is based in St. Mary’s Square. This is owned by Keith Nolan, born and reared in Athlone town. His mother’s maiden name was White and she still lives in the family home, in St. Francis Terrace. I have had my books printed here.

Keith and his pleasant staff are very professional and provide all kinds of services. I recommend this business highly. One day, I watched an old photograph being absolutely transformed!

I watched a beautiful vase being engraved in a shop, also in St Mary Square. This was in ‘Athlone Crystal,’ owned by Eddie Halligan. His assistant laughed as she told me, “Many a man tells us that we have saved his marriage.” This is because the date of their wedding was engraved on a gift of Athlone Crystal. All he had to do was go to check the date on it, when their anniversary was coming up.

In my new book I have written about how important local shops were in our lives, long ago. Photographs of Mackens, Patsy Murrays, Keoghs, Butlers, Sams, The Genoa, The Cova, Bretts and Liptons are some of the images added. Photographs of shopkeepers we remember are there too.

My new book ‘Jean’s Journal 2’ is on sale in The Athlone Bookshop, under Burgesses, in town. This shop is owned by Stephen Reynolds and is well worth supporting. I want to thank all of you came to the launch of my book recently.