City shops report smooth switch

A smooth switch to the euro was reported by retailers and shoppers in a relatively quiet Dublin city centre yesterday.

At Dunnes Stores in the St Stephen's Green Centre things seemed to be running smoothly and there was little evidence of the chaos euro-sceptics had predicted.

"I feel that I'm totally European today," declared Ms Irene Brennan, of Ballsbridge, as she left the store. She felt there was a "wonderful buzz" around the launch of the currency.

However, Ms Judith Hart, at the store's euro information desk, said while younger customers accepted the currency, many older people had told her they "didn't want to have to deal with it".

Mr Nicky Wallace, from South William Street, used an old £10 note to pay for his morning paper in Grafton Street and received his "first handful of euros" in change. He praised the city's shop assistants for their efficiency, saying they were at the "coalface".

Most shoppers were using "old money" to pay for their goods, although a spokesman for HMV on Grafton Street said 25 per cent of transactions were in the new currency. As Dublin was not particularly busy yesterday, the real test will come when business returns to normal after the holiday break.

Consumers were urged to remain vigilant in a joint statement by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, and the Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley. Mr Kitt said: "Over the coming weeks, the full team of inspectors in the director's office will be out and about keeping an eye on the way in which retailers have converted prices to the new currency."