Surprise for owner as Limerick shop marks a century serving its community

THERE was a nice shock for a shop owner in a Limerick village as his family organised a surprise to mark a century in business.

Kevin McNamara, who owns McNamara’s Hardware in Doon, enjoyed a surprise celebration over the weekend.

It comes as the shop marked exactly 100 years in business.

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Originally known as Macs, the shop was opened by Kevin’s late father Patrick McNamara, affectionately known as Paddy.
He saw an opening for a mill, a fuel yard and a general store.

While the mill and yard have since gone, a shop remains on the site and remains as popular in Doon as ever. This was reflected as Kevin’s friends and family, as well as his customers from down through the years, turned up to help him mark the shop’s birthday.

He was presented with a plaque to mark the occasion.

The surprise was organised by Kevin’s daughters, Lauren and Aisling, as well as their mother, and his wife Bernie McNamara.

“It was a lovely afternoon,” said Lauren.

“Many members of our family would have worked in the shop. They would have gathered on Saturday, and many would have grown up in the surrounding area,” she said.

Asked her father’s reaction, Lauren simply said: “Shock!”