End of an era in Tullow as landmark shop closes its doors after 100 years
Arnold Mahon has owned PJ Duffy’s, Tullow for 57 years and now ends his long working life
FOR ALMOST 60 years, Arnold Mahon has been to the fore of commercial life in Tullow. It’s an extraordinary legacy that now, sadly, comes to an end, as 86-year-old Arnold makes the tough decision to close his shop PJ Duffy’s on Mill Street, marking the end of an era and the end of a Tullow institution.
“I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” Arnold told on a visit to the shop last Friday.
“I definitely will miss the people, all the people coming in that I have known over a lifetime … it’s not easy to pack it up,” he reflects with sadness.
“Generations of families … we’ve had so many lovely people in here over the years. The people of Tullow have been so nice, so easy to deal with … we’d great customers,” he said.
PJ Duffy's has been in business in Tullow for 100 years this year, with Arnold taking over the drapery store from PJ Duffy in 1968. With an excellent reputation established by Duffy’s as a drapery store, Arnold modestly never changed the name.
He smiles when asked if anyone ever called him ‘PJ’ or ‘Mr Duffy’.
“Everyone refers to me as Mr Duffy, but I never minded, it never meant anything to me,” he grins.
To mark the century of service and Arnold’s reign coming to an end, Duffy’s launched its ‘100 year Celebration Sale’ this week.
As well as snapping up the bargains, the shop has been buzzing all week with customers calling in to wish Arnold and the staff well, or to reminisce about their wonderful memories of Duffy’s and the many family occasions and milestones intertwined with the shop.
Another remarkable aspect of PJ Duffy’s is the loyalty and commitment of its wonderful staff, all of whom have worked in the shop for decades.
“It’s like a bereavement,” admitted Antoinette Sutton, who has worked ‘on and off’ at Duffy’s since 2 November 1972.
“We understand, but we are broken-hearted. It is very emotional. We’re meeting such beautiful people every day and never a cross word with anyone … and we’ve always done our best,” she adds with a tear in her eye.
“Arnold is like a father to us, there is never an issue, he’s brilliant,” said Antoinette.
Along with Antoinette’s 52 years, colleague Ollie Murphy’s has 46 years’ service at Duffy’s. Eileen Doyle started in Duffy’s in 1967, worked until her retirement in 2011 but still comes back to help out on a regular basis, while Ann Byrne has worked there for 37 years.
There are also affectionate memories of staff down through the years, with the late Mara Hogan, who looked after the accounts, fondly mentioned, along with the legendary pully system, which brought dockets, cash and receipts whizzing across the shop’s ceiling.
The staff’s longevity, experience and way with customers is something Arnold is hugely grateful for.
“They are all friends, I never wielded the big brush, we all decided together and they were always part and parcel of it,” he said.
When Arnold suffered a fall last year and with his health in decline, the staff stepped up and ran everything perfectly, for which he is so grateful. “They’re fantastic,” he adds.
A traditional drapery set over two floors, with ladies’, men’s and children’s fashions, long, wide counter tops and shelves stacked high with stock. In its heyday, Duffy’s employed ten staff with late opening up to 9.30pm two nights a week and Arnold a constant presence.
The shop would be thronged, particularly at Christmas time, attracting shoppers far and wide, with a huge customer base among the farming community.
Arnold never felt the need to modernise Duffy’s.
“Young people could come in and look at the place and say it was falling down, but I never felt the need to modernise. People knew what they needed would be here and that we’d have what they are looking for,” said Arnold.
“Shops like this are gone, unfortunately that’s the way it is,” he said.
“So many of my best customers have died and you’d remember them from over the years.” Another aspect of Duffy’s which was hugely important to so many families was the availability of credit. From Christmas to back to school, a big family event or when times were tough, being able to get your goods on credit really mattered.
“Several people have said it to me over the years: ‘I dressed my kids out of your place’, and that meant a lot to me,” said a tearful Arnold.
“Most people appreciated the credit.” Arnold, who has lived in Bennekerry all his life, will turn 87 in May and knows the time has come to say farewell to the drapery trade – a career that began in Mac’s Menswear, Carlow in 1953, before he took over Duffy’s in 1968.
While no-one is in place to take over Duffy’s, Arnold remains hopeful that maybe someone would continue the drapery business.
We’ll see what the coming weeks bring.
“It’s the end of my working life,” he says plainly.
“People have been so generous and I have great memories,” he smiles.
