CLOWN TOWN
Toys circus opens in Shannon
Paddy Mcivor hopes his colourful, nostalgic kingdom of toys will entertain adults and children alike.
The Shannon man opened Toy Circus in late 2017 with his collection of toys, games and life-size creations from popular TV shows and films dating back to the mid1970s.
Aside from the main event, the Magical Toy Adventure, there is also a skate ramp with a foam pit, mini golf, a collection of arcade games and gaming consoles and a Nerf gun shooting range.
Mcivor, dubbed ‘‘Paddy the Clown’’ by locals, said seeing the excitment of people of all ages as they walked through the displays was the best part of his job.
‘‘It is just great to be able to share my collection and what I am creating with other people so they can also enjoy it,’’ he said.
‘‘The big thing that I get a lot of satisfaction out of is people coming here and it is a distraction and escapism from their everyday life.
‘‘They come here for a bit of fun and fantasy. It makes them smile and it makes it all worthwhile.’’
He refuses to use the word ‘‘museum’’ in relation to the collection as it wasn’t just shelves of boxed toys.
He likened his displays, many of which he has rigged up with moving parts, to the modern version of model railway displays.
‘‘Traditionally with boys and their toys, you think of cars and trains.
‘‘But what has happened in our generation is that it is more about action figures and movie toys. In the past, people would create an amazing model train layout, now they create an amazing film diorama.’’
The collection has been a long time in the making for the former national champion rollerblader, who used to compete internationally.
‘‘Mum was a bit of a collector as well. She used to carry me around all the garage sales in the 80s. Then when I was away skating, I would go away hunting [for toys], especially in Japan, because it is all really cheap and there are a lot of toys that did not make it here.’’
He started by collecting Star Wars toys, but it has advanced to a much wider collection since then.
‘‘My collection goes back from the mid-70s until today. I have really tried to mix it up. When I have the families come in, many of the parents ... have that nostalgic feeling.’’
Turning the collection into a business did not cost him much as he already had all of the toys.
Mcivor still hunts for new additions to his collection through garage sales and Trade Me, as he always has. The only difference is that he can now claim it is for work.