Shops And Businesses.

The Skehana area had a broad range of business premises.

Gerry Costello

Burkes Colemanstown
© Copyright Control
Costello's Skehana
© Gerry Costello
Mick Kenny's, Guilka
© Gerry Costello
Letter of Acceptance to Ulick Burke in 1889
© Copyright Control
Ulick Burke
© Copyright Control
Paddy Craughwell's Shop
© Gerry Costello
Sonny Burke's Shop
© Gerry Costyello
Devaney's Shop
© Gerry Costello
Jim Kelly's Shop
© Gerry Costello
Dick Madden's Shop
© Gerry Costello
Molly Hession's Shop
© Gerry Costello

 

Burkes, Colemanstown

In 1889, a young shop-worker bought the business he worked in. Dated September 3rd 1889, the contract reads “To Ulick Burke, Colemanstown – I accept your offer of two hundred and forty pounds for my interest in the house, premises & farm at Colemanstown this day pending final arrangements in due course”. The letter of acceptance was signed by John P Fogarty. After all of this time the business still thrives and is being successfully run by Frank & Bernie Burke today. It has been for many years now a grocery shop, pub and Post Office.

 

Costello’s Skehana

 

 

Bernie Holian Kilbeg

This shop was situated in Kilbeg where the Cloonan family now live. It was run by Bernie and Mamie Holian until they sold out and moved to Birmingham in the 1960s. It was bought by Cloonans and they leased the shop to Pexie Coppinger from Kilbeg who ran it for several years until she moved to the UK. It was then closed.

Molly Hession, Carrowferrikeen

Molly Hession was the last to operate this property as a shop. Prior to this it was operated by James Gavin in the early 1900s. James Gavin was great-grandfather of the world acclaimed fiddle player, Frankie Gavin who played with De Dannan.

Mick Kenny, Guilka

Mick Kenny operated this shop in Guilka until the late 1980s. He originated from Ballinrooaun and married Nora Gavin who owned the shop already. It was a small shop by modern standards but held a wide and varied stock. It was one of those shops that was also a social club. Each night a crowd of young people would meet there, have a mineral, or soft drink, eat ice cream and sweets, watch the first television in Guilka and maybe play a game or two of cards. This was the only shop in the area where one could buy sliced ham. It was cut by Mick himself with a butcher’s knife and was sliced as fine as the best slicer on the market today.

He also stocked wellington boots and children’s and adult sandals. The shop closed and was bought by Gabriel Dunne who operated it for a few years.

Paddy Craughwell, Menlough

Paddy Craughwell operated a very successful shoe shop here up until the mid 1970s. Later it was run as a butcher shop and for a time afterwards as a takeaway fast food outlet.

John Molohan, Menlough,

This shop was situated between Menlough Community Centre and Menlough Post Office.  John hailed from Co. Longford originally. This was a small grocery shop but mainly a butcher shop. John carried out his trade as a butcher, was also known to be what used to be called a jobber dealing in cattle. John, along with his wife Maisie, ran the shop until the 1990s. After their deaths it was sold and demolished. The site now hosts a house, Menlough/Skehana Credit Union Office and apartments.

Lohan & Co., Menlough.

Lohan’s, as it was locally known was a department store of its time. On the left as you walked in was the snug and then the bar and the grocery department was next and the end was the office. There was a section that held less demanded items such as shot gun cartridges, coffin linings, etc and then there was the drapery department. Through a door beside the drapery section you entered the hardware department which stocked paints, nails, bolts, meals and feed stuff. It also had something which which amazed, amused and filled me with wonder as a four year old being taken in there for the first time. All departments were linked to the office by steel wires on which was a gadget that ran along the wire to the office. When a sale was made a docket was written out, the customer paid for the items and the attendant put the money and a copy of the docket into a jar, attached it to the gadget on the tight wire, pulled a handle and the whole lot flew across the shop to the office. A minute later the thing came flying back along the wire again and the cup was removed and the docket and change were given to the customer. This was a wondrous thing at the time and the next time I saw a shop with such a system was in Galway City in Blackrock when I was getting my First Communion suit.

Lohans was later a partnership between Paddy Walsh, Watt Costello and Mrs. Lohan Delaney who also carried on a Solicitors practice there. In the late 1970s they all retired and sold the property to Brendan Glynn. Brendan continued on as a pub and small food market and later as just a pub. Brendan retired some years later and then the property became Flynn’s Bar. Following it’s closure it is now an apartment complex.

Further Submission by Emma Laffey

Lohan’s shop was an invaluable part of the local community in Menlough. It had a pub and shop which sold almost everything you would need from your house to farm. Thankfully Patsy Laffey has kept the tick book belonging to Lohan’s and the pages start from as early as 1905. This tick book contains a great insight to what the local people were buying at the time and the cost of living. Every customer had their own tick book and brought it with them when purchasing any items at the shop.

We also have a photograph of the inside of the shop during 1960s featuring Martin Costello and Padraic Devanney from Connemara. The photograph was kindly donated by Bridie Scanlon. After second Mass on Sunday some local men would go to the ware’s room ( known locally as the Dáil room) some of the names of frequent visitors were Martin Costello, Mike Costello, Thomas Donohoe, Matt Donohoe and Markie Naughton.

You can follow this link to view this beautiful tickbook:

https://publuu.com/flip-book/19961/62984

Tim Devaney, Menlough

Menlough Co-Operative Society, Menlough

Jim Kelly, Menlough

Dick Madden, Menlough,

Mick Donoghue, Glantane,

Bernard Hare, Ballinruane

Nancy Monaghan, Ballinruane

Keanes Shop, Menlough

Keane’s Shop in Menlough was situated on the right hand side of the Church if you stand on the roadway facing the church. It was demolished around 1960 and would have stood I feel on part of the Church carpark and maybe on part of what is Brendan Glynn’s property at present.

 

This page was added on 10/12/2014.

Comments about this page

  • I’m wondering does anyone remember Keoghs shop at Colloo cross. Bridie Mahony was married to Sean Keogh. They opened a little shop in there parlour selling most small grocery items and SWEETS. Circa late 60s early 70s. Lovely couple. RIP

    By Sean Mahony (09/05/2021)
  • So nice to read about our shop in Kilbeg.My Father built it & we had many happy years there before we moved to Birmingham.

    By Bernadette Cleary nee Holian (04/04/2017)
  • Bernadette, thank you for taking the time to view the website. I well remember your shop in Kilbeg, and indeed was there many times with my mother before I even went to school. I have a school photograph from Garbally on another page. Are you in it? Try the link below and the photo is on the top row – extreme right.
    http://skehana.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/topics/sample-page-8-text-styles

    Best regards,

    Gerry Costello

    By Gerry Costello (04/04/2017)

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