NOREEN WILL MISS NEW ROSS
Having opened the doors of her Quay Street boutique to shoppers in 1983, Noreen O’Donnell went on to clothe the women of the area for special occasions for 37 years.
Having cut her teeth in the rag trade working in Shaws, Carlow, and at Arnotts, Noreen, still a young mother, opened her boutique. It was during a brutal recession but that consideration never even entered her mind.
‘I always thought there was scope in New Ross for a boutique selling medium to top of the range women’s clothing for an average price,’ Noreen said.
Buying her stock in England from German suppliers and also in the continent, Noreen’s clothing was much sought after. ‘I gained loyal customers very quickly; the people that wanted quality, like the farmers’ wives who bought outfits for special occasions. They always had a bit of money and never once asked the price.’
Noreen and Fiona Murphy Sutton offered customers advice over the early years and before long Noreen had a team of three working with her.
Business remained steady throughout the nineties and customers travelled from across the south east to peruse and buy her wares. So it was that her business became known as the fashion house of the south east, helped, in no small part, by Noreen taking the show on the road, hosting fashion shows across the country, including at the National Ploughing Championships for a decade.
Priding herself on bringing clothing ‘ that women were watching on TV’ to her customers, Noreen said her items were top of the range.
‘A lot of people would come in before the race meets like Cheltenham and buy everything from their shoes to hats here. I was very good to my customers and would have gone over and above for them on occasions over the years. I used to let them take the clothes home and try them on for their husbands, etc. That all faded over time.’
She said New Ross was a busy town for most of her years in business.
‘It was a great town and I could never say a bad word about it. The businesspeople were all very good and very loyal. I really loved New Ross. It was absolutely brilliant. After trader’s association meetings, there were great sessions in Jimmy Hanrahan’s pub.’
Noreen was blown away by the send off she got on her final day trading on June 20, delighting especially in the performance by New Ross & District Pipe Band members for her that afternoon.
She thanked everyone who has wished her well in her retirement after 37 years in New Ross, saying the town has a bright future.
‘We will have a very good town within five years but it will take that time for it to come around again. When the greenway comes to New Ross (that will be a big boost too).’
She thanked all her close neighbours in business and everyone who helped her down through the years and her loyal customers.