End of an era as Frawley's department store closes

Dublin has lost another one of its retail landmarks with the closure at the weekend of Frawley's department store.

For over 115 years a focal point for shoppers in the Liberties, Frawley's closed its doors on Thomas Street for the last time on Saturday. Forty jobs have been lost with the closure, which the owners blame on a downturn in business.

Last Friday, the staff agreed to accept a Labour Court recommendation giving them four weeks of severance pay per year of service.

"Some of the staff in Frawley's have worked there for nearly 40 years. It has ended the uncertainty and is a great gesture from the management to those members of staff," said Joe Donnelly, a spokesman for their union, Mandate.

Management at the store told employees in March that the company planned to cease trading. The premises on 34-36 Thomas Street are worth an estimated €10 million.

The store was opened by Cornelius and Bridget Frawley in 1892 to offer bargains to the poor. The business passed to their nephew, Cornelius Lee, and was then run by his two sons, Jack and James.

When they retired in 1987, the store was bought by Pascal Taggart and John Clohissey. It has been managed by Seán McEvoy for 20 years.

"There are multiple [ retail] facilities now on the outskirts of the city, that's where people go now," Mr McEvoy said.