It was that trophy shop on Fownes St that did it. John J Cooke’s sits in the heart of the tourist behemoth that is Temple Bar, a bastion of old school trading and a complete outlier in an area where the only winners are the publicans and restauranteurs that operate there.
With new coffee shops, nail bars, tattoo parlours, hotels, student accommodations, Centras etc popping up profusely in Dublin over the last few years it struck us here in TD HQ that places like Cooke’s should be celebrated, outlets that have belied trends and fashions to stoically remain in situ.
I’m sure you have all at some stage wondered how a certain business has still survived in amongst the commercialism of modern day city life and in our new monthly column we aim to shine a light on these operations and tell you a little bit about the people that have held out against the creeping corporatisation of our city.
We kick off with a Temple Bar institution, Rory’s Fishing Tackle.
In the heart of Temple Bar sits one of the oldest independent retailers in Dublin City, Rory’s Fishing Tackle. The shop has been in operation for over 60 years and is now the only corner location in Temple Bar not occupied by a shop or a pub. We spoke to the shop’s owner Mary Harkin about how Rory’s came to be one of the oldest shops in Dublin City Centre.
The shop was founded by her father, Rory, in 1959. Rory was “mad into fishing” his whole life and after working in the fishing tackle section of Albert’s, he knew that there was a definite market for that product and saw an opportunity to open up his own store. He originally rented the spot where they now stand but he decided to buy it to make sure he would not ever lose such a prime location. Owning the location is also extremely good for business as many restaurants, pubs, shops etc. in the same area have complained about the ever rising cost of rent, something Mary does not have to worry about.
Rory passed on ownership of the store to his daughter Mary eighteen years ago. She had spent many summers in her childhood and teenage years working in the shop, doing “bits and pieces around the place” to help her father during the busy seasons.
With the rise in online shopping, we were curious just how a shop that’s been open for the amount of time that Rory’s Fishing Tackle has, has been able to achieve longevity and adapt to a changing world. Mary explained that they’ve had an online website for many years that delivers all around the world, so by the time COVID came knocking on everyone’s doors, business wasn’t negatively affected much. If anything, sales increased with many taking up fishing as a hobby as they were looking for an outdoor, lockdown friendly activity to pass their time.
Mary says that the online store is also great for those who aren’t sure what they’re looking for yet. It gives them an idea of what is available in the shop before they go in to buy something they’re not certain about.
When asked about the countries they ship to, Mary tells us that America and Australia are where most of their customers are, outside of Ireland of course, and that they’re often shipping out not just supplies, but also of their famous T-shirts. Mary explains how it’s “really important to keep up with the times, especially with the younger generation; since everyone’s into the internet now.”
Most of the time however, the older generations tend to still come down and do their shopping in store rather than online.
With all the different types of fishing out in the world, it is great to have a shop like Rory’s to accommodate everyone’s needs, whether you’re a beginner or old timer looking for a new rod there is something for you. Different times of the year require certain stock depending on what type of fishing is in season. March, for instance, is when the trout fishing season begins so stock levels have to be bought in with this in mind and kept on top of.
Rory’s has been in the same spot since the day it opened 66 years ago, a credit to Rory’s (and now Mary’s) resilience and business acumen. Mary says that people did suggest to her father that he could take the business anywhere, but the location has remained the same for so long mainly because of how much passing trade it gets, a total anomaly when you think of the public perception of what Temple Bar has become.
Mary is full of humorous anecdotes that highlights the scale of fame and notoriety that the shop has acheived worldwide. She explained that many years ago her father received a postcard all the way from Australia that was simply addressed to “Rory’s, Ireland”. The postcard was delivered directly to the shop just based on that description alone. She also told us multiple stories of herself and her friends spotting Rory’s t-shirts and stickers on cars in places as far away as New Zealand and Manhattan.
Mary has taken great care of the shop for the past 18 years, keeping the business afloat through times that were tough on everybody. Rory still comes into the shop from time to time to see how things are going, when you love what you do you’re never truly retired. It has been a successful 66 years for this Dublin staple, and here’s to many more.
Words & Photos: Sasha Robertson & Erin Murray
If you have any suggestions for businesses for us to cover in this column please email editor@totallydublin.ie
