End of an era as Dundalk newsagents to close after 75 years

After 75 years serving Dundalk, Grants Newsagents on Dublin Street will close its doors on Saturday, marking the end of one of the town’s oldest family-run businesses.

The shop was opened in 1951 by the late Kathleen Grant, who opened the business in the sitting room of her home after the death of her husband.

“She was working in PJ Carrolls and didn’t want leaving us with people so she started a wee shop in the sitting room of the house to be able to stay at home,” recalls her daughter, Kathleen Dunne.

Kathleen and her brother Michael, who played an important role in the business for many years, grew up surrounded by the shop. Kathleen herself joined at 17 or 18 after leaving a secure job.

“I was working in Clark’s shoes, I had a good job there, and then my mum persuaded me to come home and do the shop with her,” she said.

Asked if she thought then that she’d still be in the shop all these years later, Kathleen said, “I don’t think so, but I did love it. I’ve always loved it. And my mother would say every seven years, ‘ok, time to refit.’ And every seven years we would do a big job on it and move on to the next stage. We’ve always moved along with the times.”

She fondly remembers the shop’s atmosphere: “We never imagined it closing, we just always loved it. It was always part of our life. We had lovely customers and always loved our customers.

“We just had great fun, my mother would have great fun every morning with all the men coming into the shop for the papers and if it was a lovely morning she’d start the morning singing, ‘oh what a beautiful morning.’”

Read Next: Dundalk IT students raise almost €1,000 for hardship fund

When asked how she hopes the shop will be remembered, Kathleen said, “Just as a happy place, and a happy shop to come into. My mother always said to me, if a customer comes in in bad humour, or if you have a grumpy customer, they’re the ones to be nicest too because you don’t know what they are after leaving at home, or what they’re going through at home. We’ve said that to staff all down the years.”

While closing the shop is bittersweet, Kathleen is realistic about what she won’t miss, mainly the paperwork, the accounts, and the big gas and electric bills

But despite that, it’s the people she says she’ll truly miss most.

“I’m sad but that’s just life, you have to move on. I’ll miss everybody, I’ll miss the staff, the girls we work with. We have wonderful staff, absolutely brilliant girls and lovely customers, that’s what I’ll miss.”