Collins shop closes up
Big Fellow bought paper there on day he was killed
AFTER 105 years in business, a shop frequented by Michael Collins on the day he died will close its doors for the last time today.
The shelves are now practically bare in J MacCarthy Newsagents on Pearse Street, Clonakilty, West Cork, as the owners cut prices across the floor in preparation to say an emotional goodbye to their loyal customers.
‘I think I’ll be counting penny sweets in my sleep,’ said David McCarthy, the third generation of his family to run the corner shop.
‘The hardest part was making the decision to close it. It is tough going, because you are working nearly 12hour days every day. It was a brilliant business. We will miss our customers as much as they will miss us,’ said Mr McCarthy, 68, who ran the business with his wife Kay for 46 years.
A celebratory farewell was held for customers in recent days, with its patrons being ‘devastated’ by the closure.
‘I’m sort of a workaholic, so I’m not looking forward to closing, and losing contact with people. I could never say we had a tough time with customers. It has been a pleasure,’ he said. Mr McCarthy’s grandfather bought the shop in 1915 for £450 from the O’Donovan family, who had run it for the previous three years. On August 22, 1922, Michael Collins called in to buy a newspaper, and, just a few hours later, he was shot and killed at Béal na Bláth.
His visit to the shop is still talked about in the locality. ‘He called into the shop in full uniform, and the women were absolutely gobsmacked.
‘They said “My God, isn’t he beautiful looking”.’