End of an era in Trim as Tobins closes its doors

Saturday marked the end of an era in Trim when Nicola Tobin closed Tobins Newsagents on Haggard Street for the last time.

The shop has been in the Tobin family since 1981 and was run by Nicola's parents Nuala and the late Larry Tobin, with Nicola joining the family business when she finished school and working there ever since.

"The shop was opened by my parents Nuala and Larry in 1981. They had the Bon Bon at the same time, and between the two of them they ran the two shops," recalled Nicola.

They sold the Bon Bon a few years later and moved all the business to Haggard Street.

"I did my Leaving Cert in 1984/1985 and came in for a year to make up my mind what I wanted to do and I have been here every since. It's not that I have to sell but I want to sell to experience having a bit of a life after spending my weekends, bank holidays and Christmas Eves behind a counter."

Nicola recalled that ever since she and her siblings "could press the buttons on the till" they worked in the shop and were reared behind the counter in retail.

"The two sayings you heard all the time growing up were 'who's opening up the shop in the morning?' and 'who is in the shop?," laughed Nicola.

Streams of customers have been coming in to the shop all week to wish Nicola well and she said many of them have been buying things like the Beano as a keepsake.

"I would like to thank our fantastic loyal customers over the years. People coming in with kids now who came in as kids themselves before them. It is an end of an era for generations of kids who came in for sweets."

Nicola's father Larry who passed away in 2012 was a popular figure with local children who came into his shop.

"He was a legend with the kids doing magic tricks. He had great time for all the children."

Nicola described the last week as a emotional rollercoaster but feels the time is right to sell and move on.

"I have grown up all my life in the shop. I am going to take life easy and see what it is like to have weekends off. I will have to do something part time though- to go from doing 60-70 hours a week to doing nothing. It was non-stop. During Covid especially it was very intense.

"I got up every morning and enjoyed what I did. I could have kept trucking for another few years but it felt like it was the right time and the opportunity came. I want to live while I can. Get out and see what life is like.

"I would like to thank my mother Nuala and my siblings and our great staff down through the years and my current staff, Mary Boshell and Donna Cashell. Also all our loyal customers.

"It's very emotional, its an emotional rollercoaster and the end of an era in Trim."