Gerard Anthony Menswear are holding a night of comedy and fun in aid of the North West Hospice to mark 30th anniversary

LITTLE did Gerard Fitzgerald know when he was attending St. Mel’s College in Longford as a young school boy in the 70’ s, where his interest in the fashion retail business in Ireland would take him.

On a sunny Thursday in June of 1987, Gerard Anthony Menswear opened its doors for the first time with a determined and experienced Captain at the helm in Carrick- on- Shannon, and a captain he would need to be in chartering the many challenges that many an Irish retailer faced in the course of the past three decades.

Raised by parents who both had experience in retail, Gerard worked at their shoe business from the age of ten. With the downturn of his parents’ retail business and the mass emigration of youth caused by two harsh recessions, Gerard was forced to take a sales role representing the Irish firm ‘’ Irene Foundations’’ which took him on the road to meet retailers in Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. Whilst working for this company made Gerard realise that he was running his businesses properly but didn’t have the market to help it thrive. A sad fact at that time Gerard noticed was that only two students from a class of thirty- two have remained in Gerard’s home town,

Gerard then approached a local auctioneer in 1987 to see if it was possible of opening a shop in Longford or Sligo and was convinced to open on the high street in Carrick- on- Shannon.

On the particular Thursday the shop opened, Gerard Anthony Menswear made their first sale of a pair of socks costing £ 1.20 and a local supermarket owner came in and asked if he could put £ 5 into the till for luck - it must have worked, because the following 21 years would see the business go from strength to strength creating the need for a larger premises.

Gerard Anthony Menswear has not survived thirty years without valuing and knowing its’ customers, their lifestyles and their budgets. Each employee is trained to be part of an honest team understanding the needs of the conservative gent or the modern day male.

Having survived the most recent recession from 2009 to 2013, Gerard faces challenges that can be seen on the horizon, the most recent being the uncertainty of Brexit since July 2016, which has caused lack of confidence in consumer spending.

However not one to shy away from a challenge, Gerard has a knack of finding opportunity in each one, which no doubt is the main contributing factor that has made Gerard Anthony the success story in menswear retail in Ireland for the past 30 years.

No 30th anniversary should go without a celebration, so Gerard Anthony Menswear are holding a night of comedy and fun in aid of the North West Hospice with the many personalities of Oliver Callan, a casino, an auction presented by Liam Farrell, hosted by Anne- Marie Gannon RTE Today Show fashion stylist.

This fun and glam event will be taking place at the Bush Hotel on Friday 30th of June. Tickets are great value at € 20 and can be purchased instore or by phone from Gerard Anthony Menswear 071- 9621093.