IT was an emotional evening for Jimmy and Eileen Moran on Friday as they closed the door on their Strand Street shop for the last time.
Having taken over the store back in 1987, generations of families have shopped there over the years and the couple have held a special place in the hearts of everyone in the area.
In fact, there was a wonderful turnout on Friday to see Jimmy and Eileen off and it showed how much the Moran family means to everyone.
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The decision to retire wasn’t an easy one for the family, but it was expedited when Jimmy suffered a brain haemorrhage earlier this year.
Eileen said it was a sad day, but she’s looking forward to having time to themselves having given so much commitment to the shop over the years. So what sticks in her mind about being so long in the shop?
“I suppose the youngsters coming in all those years ago and then coming back when they’ve grown up. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that they were small. We’ve had happy times and sad times here and it’s hard to believe that this is our last day. We’ll miss it, but it’s our time now,” she said.
While there have been huge changes in retail over the years, it seemed to have passed Jimmy’s by. “It’s one shop that never changed. Nothing. An ordinary cash register, a fridge, sweets and groceries — a shop for the community,” said Eileen.
“It’s been tough for the last while, so we sat down and decided it’s time to live our lives now,” said Eileen.
The retirement doesn’t leave a complete void at the junction though.
The shop is now in the capable hands of Mary McLoughlin and Eileen Shanahan who will continue to serve the community with gusto for years to come.
Both Eileen and Jimmy wished the ladies all the best for the future at the store and hoped the community would continue to support the shop.
Our movie guy, James Finnegan, on a diverse range of movies on the box over the next week…
Back home, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is an ex-convict, in conflict with his family and leading a directionless life. However, he resolves to take care of his brother’s wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and her two daughters.
Directed, produced and starring Gary Sinise as George and John Malkovich as Lenny, it tells the story of two drifters. George looks after Lenny who finds the world a very confusing and challenging place.
Back to Bond with Goldfinger (Sunday 6.00 pm RTE1) definitely Sean Connery’s best and it could be argued as perhaps the series best.