KNOCKNAGREE NATIVE TO SELL LANDMARK ANTIQUE STORE

Killarney business is on main Cork road

ANTIQUES are what anchor us to the past and no one knows it better than Pat O’Connor from the Killarney Antique Shop located just outside the town on the road to Cork. Pat has decided to close after 18 years sourcing and selling items with historic and sentimental value.

The first antique to greet you when you pull up outside the shop is Sam’s wagging tail. Even the dog has an old backstory turned new having been rescued by Pat some years ago.

“Sam takes his job very seriously. He goes out and welcomes every car and he’ll be there for the whole summer doing his job,” Pat tells me.

“He is a rescue from Animal Haven in Castleisland. If you look at our reviews on Google, he is mentioned more than I am. As for me, antiques are like drink and drugs, you either cut them out completely or not at all. It’s hard to do in-between,” he said.

The Knocknagree native likes the sense of preservation and curation involved in harnessing old items that would otherwise be lost and selling them on again so they have a new lease of life. It’s about more than financial transactions.

“There are around 10,000 pieces in the shop this minute. If you had to go and find 8,000 of them somewhere else, you couldn’t as they are so unique. I’m very aware of heritage. Ireland is getting more uniform with America and other northern hemisphere countries. We are losing our sense of heritage and culture,” he said.

“When I opened here first, I wanted to be part of the tourist trail in Killarney. Finding Killarney ware, and bringing it home, was my main objective. I brought a piece home from Australia a few years ago that cost me the price of a small car to import. But I love to see Killarney and Kerry antiques, Irish pieces in general, staying in the country. It does break my heart a little when they are sold to places like America.”

Pat feels part of the reason why less and less people are sourcing antiques is because the internet age has made purchasing habits more immediate. It’s not necessarily that people dislike buying antiques, it’s just hard to compete with the relentless way items are advertised and sold online.

“I was driving from Dublin recently and I passed the Amazon warehouse. I remember it felt like a thousand local shops were buried there. What’s in that warehouse was once bought in local shops. It’s just the way it’s gone. Browsing antiques is an art, that’s why I always leave my customers browse without hassling them. If you leave people alone and don’t put pressure on them, they will buy something,” he said.

Pat’s Killarney story started in 2006 when he was driving past the building and saw a ‘For Rent’ sign. He always had a strong interest in antiques all his life with the beds ‘rising to the roof ’ in his house with the volume of stock. He felt it was time to open his own place.

“The shop just said ‘lets go’ to me. I originally came from a hotel and catering background and that was gone out of me. I was tired and burned out from that. That part of my life was over. I spent some years in London getting to know the auction houses. It all really started when I bought a painting in Cork for £800 and brought it to London and sold it for £5,000. I like that side of it, there is an element of the ‘wheeling and dealing’ that I enjoy,” he said.

As you would expect, the tastes and trends of customers has ebbed and flowed in Pat’s time. In recent years he has noticed a swing back towards buying heritage items and Irish antiques.

“When I opened first, I would have at least ten old ladies browsing here on a Sunday looking for ware and gifts. That has disappeared and no one has really replaced that customer base. The furniture side of the business is slow but anything Irish, pre-1960, is very sought after. It’s said the Chinese are buying back items of their own heritage. I feel the Irish are doing the same. The pubs and hotels in Killarney and Cork have also been good customers of mine through the years,” he said.

Any perception that dealing in antiques is a high-end and pretentious line of business is left at the door by Pat. The decision to part ways has not been easy but was down to a combination of factors, namely, overheads and quiet winters.

“I just think my time has come. The winters were getting longer and Connie [Bawn] is no longer working with me. She was a major part of this empire and had great knowledge for the job. I’d work for nothing if I could only do summers. The winter can be dark and dreary and the fixed costs are just too high to justify doing this as a pastime,” he said.

“I’m 63 so I have a couple of more years left to work. I’m just looking for something to do for two or three more years that isn’t a seven day-a-week job. Whether or not I open my shop door, I’ve got to find around €2,700. That’s my fixed cost,” he adds.

Pat likes to think his shop will be missed when it is gone. This summer will likely be the last time that passers-by can marvel at the eclectic array of items outside his door, and, of course, Sam’s warm welcome. He knows all good things come to an end.

“People are saying we will be missed as part of Killarney, I hope so. I have customers that have been coming to me from day one that I will miss. I have one man, Billy from Cork, who pops his head in the door the odd time to say: ‘are you still getting away with it, Pat?’. I know what he means as what I do is called living the dream.”

Of all the items Pat has passed on, the most memorable are two unique paintings of Queen Victoria that he sold to a local hotel. The paintings show Queen Victoria leaving Ross Castle and Muckross House during her visit painted by the famous court artist, Charels Frederick Buckley.

“I’ve sold many pieces of Killarney items for thousands over the years. Yes, there is a certain amount of financial skill to it, but it’s more fulfilling knowing you are sourcing local heritage and selling it locally. That is what gives me a thrill, seeing people really appreciate what they are buying,” he said.

“I’m looking at the ‘closing down’ sign outside the door as we speak and it does feel a little emotional. Everyone sees the busy times but there are quiet times too when you must spend long days with yourself without anyone coming into the shop. But I have got to close the door and move on. It’s just a pity no one would buy the business as a going concern, that’s the saddest part.” he said.