Shock as iconic store is latest victim of slump

Athboy has suffered an enormous blow as McElhinney Fashions, the drapery store that put the town on the map, closed its doors over the weekend. The store, first opened in the town in 1937 by the late Molly McElhinney, was famed nationwide as a stockist of ladies' fashions, as well as for its bridalwear store, and has been a significant employer in Athboy over the last 73 years. While the store could not be contacted for comment this week, it is understood that a winding-up petition has been served in the High Court by a German-owned shoe manufacturer, Peter Kaiser Schuhfabrik, and is due to be heard on Monday 14th June. The menswear store, run by the late Mrs McElhinney's son, Pat, is not involved in the closure, as it is a separate business, and continues to trade. It is understood about a dozen jobs have been lost as a result of the closure. The McElhinney name has been dominant in Athboy for generations and the shop occupies a landmark position on the main street. For decades, McElhinney Fashions has been drawing women to Athboy and, on the day of a McElhinney's sale, the town would always have been jammed with customers from Dublin, Donegal, Kerry and across the country searching for bargains. McElhinney's was renowned for closing the store in the days preceding a sale to prepare for the crowds that were expected to arrive, Molly McElhinney started the business in 1937, in the premises where Pat McElhinney now runs his menswear store. She was a member of a business family in the town, the Callaghans, who had a pub next door to this store. Mrs McElhinney was regarded as a far-seeing woman who was ahead of her time. She had the idea of a café in the store long before it became fashionable in city stores. Her husband, George, would often drive her to Dublin on buying trips. The original store was a general drapery, selling men's, women's and children's clothes. She bought it for £500 and the family was brought up over the shop. She employed many women from the area on a part-time basis, providing them with an income and allowing them to work whatever hours were most convenient for them. In 1973, with the business rapidly expanding, McElhinney's moved up the street to the former Alms House, where it remains today. Mrs McElhinney purchased the derelict building a couple of years previously. By the time she passed away in 1988, the 10,000 square feet sales floor was seeing £1 million worth of clothes being bought in each season. Over the years, members of the family, including Louise O'Sullivan and Mary Sweeney, were involved in the business, as well as their brother, Mossie, while Mary's son, Neal Sweeney, took over the management in recent years, when there was a staff of up to 90 working on both a full-time and part-time basis. In the 1990s, McElhinney's rebuilt the façade of the store, carefully reproducing the limestone to match the front of the old Market House housing the bridalwear boutique, and a coffee shop, 'Molly's Kitchen', was opened. A department for younger women and teenage girls, Evolution, was introduced three years ago. According to the last accounts filed by the company in 2008, McElhinney's Department Stores Ltd lost €433,303 in the year to 31st January 2008, having made a profit of just over €50,000 in the previous years. Liabilities exceeded assets by €362,139 at that time. The cloure is a huge blow to the town, as many other businesses in Athboy benefited from the customers travelling from all over the country to shop in McElhinney's. Athboy has already suffered as a result of protracted roadworks on the streets of the town and this latest blow is further bad news for the town. There is still hope that the business may reopen in some form in the future but, at present, uncertainty clouds what the outcome of the current situation will be. Unemployment Staff members losing their jobs in McElhinney's will swell the numbers of jobless in Meath, which already stands at 11,538 people for May. This figure represents a decrease of 18 people on the previous month. While the numbers signing on in Navan and Kells increased, Trim saw a decrease of just over two per cent in the numbers claiming benefits last month. There are now 6,016 signing on in Navan (+28) and 1,904 in Kells (+32). However, in Trim, the numbers claiming benefits there dropped from 3,696 in April to 3,618 in May, a decrease of 78. Overall in the county, there are 7,500 males on the live register and 4,038 females. There are 1,294 males and 809 females aged under 25 years signing on and some 6,206 males and 3,229 females, aged over 25. Nationally, there are 437,922 on the live register, up from 423,657 in April. Meanwhile, Senator Dominic Hannigan is calling for action on youth unemployment and says the number of post-Leaving Cert places available in Meath must be increased and more retraining opportunities provided for those without jobs. "The live register figures show an extra 5,000 people were unemployed in May. Examining the figures, one finds that 2,600 of them, or half of them, are under 25 years of age. This is a real problem that has a serious impact on young people's self-confidence and their sense of self-worth," said Senator Hannigan.