Well-known Limerick hardware store to close after 68 years

A WELL-KNOWN hardware store is to close down after almost 70 years trading in Limerick city centre.

It's the end of an era at JC Daly's Hardware in William Street, as a retirement sale kicks in this Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on 68 years in the city centre.

JC Daly's, which operates out of a double unit began life in 1957 in a much smaller space.

It was JC Daly and his soon-to-be-wife Helen O'Neill who were the founders, with the business operating as a small 80-square metre shop specialising in tools and hardware.

In the 1970s, a large lighting and electrical department was introduced.

And as demand grew, so did the store, with it eventually reaching the 300 square metres it occupies today.

Brothers Tony and Roger Daly joined the business in the early 1980s, eventually taking the reigns. Tony's daughter Alison joined up in recent years, taking JC Daly's online for the first time.

Sadly, Helen died in 2002, and JC Daly himself passed away two years ago. Up until then, he remained a regular, and very welcome, presence in the shop, keeping a watchful eye on his sons from behind the cash register.

"This isn't goodbye. It's a thank you," said Tony and Roger.

"We have been incredibly lucky to serve such a fantastic community over the years. The friendships we have made and the stories we've shared with our customers are what has made this business so special," they added.

There's no final date for the store's closure - it will be when the stock runs out.

The Daly family are hoping the retirement sale will attract customers in to not only pick up some bargains, but reminisce about the shop's legacy.