Switzers, Dublin

Clodagh84

Are there any people out there who used to work in Switzers on Grafton St., Dublin? Or anyone who had an interest in the famous establishment...customers, family etc. who had fond memories of this great Dublin landmark?

There is a new Facebook page called Switzers, Dublin.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=155851809992&v=wall

Wishbone Ash

For the benefit of younger viewers, Switzers was located where Brown Thomas is now (on the west side of Grafton Street). Brown Thomas used to be where M&S is now.

BTW - you can still see the Switzers logo on the Wicklow Street side of Brown Thomas.

yoyo

They used to always do a good window display at christmas I remember my parents bringing me to see before christmas, that was a long time ago now..

Nick

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

BTW - you can still see the Switzers logo on the Wicklow Street side of Brown Thomas.

It just so happens.....

Wishbone Ash

BT moved across the street in 1995.

humberklog

I was strolling down grafton St. the day they were bringing the carved lifesize wooden horse across the street from the old BTs to the new one. I also had my camera on me (a Leica too) and have a pic of the four storemen standing with the horse. I've lost the negs since but still have the 6x8 pic. I'll try and dig it up.

Linku

Switzers had great Christmas windows, BTs just do "sexy" christmas with mannequins in red lingerie... Many memories of queuing up to see Santa there as a child past the windows with the little puppet scenes!

Xavi6

Used to love the Christmas displays as a kid. I always remember my next door neighbour working there as a security guard.

Red Sleeping Beauty

yoyo wrote: »

They used to always do a good window display at christmas I remember my parents bringing me to see before christmas, that was a long time ago now..

Nick

I too have fond memories of being brought in to town late at night coming up to Xmas and being shown the window displays. There was another shop that had them, might've been Arnotts? It's all gone now though and Xmas is now this sexy sleazy Santa in a thong and a push up bra with a six-pack

Did they ever have a Santa in Switzers? If so I may have gone to see one there. Also, I remember some giant ride you climbed into and he swirled around and you were in Santa's sleigh or something and you got some kind of present or a colouring book at the end or something. Aaahhh... the memories, the good aul days

lightening

humberklog wrote: »

a Leica too

Woohooo! Look at you, a Leica in 1995!!

tfak85

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Did they ever have a Santa in Switzers?

yes they had santa in switzers! we would always go and see santa on christmas eve! imagine making todays children wait that long, with santa arriving earlier every year!!!

i still have my "i saw santa at switzers" badge.. we always went to captain americas for dinner after too!

WindSock

Linku wrote: »

Switzers had great Christmas windows, BTs just do "sexy" christmas with mannequins in red lingerie... Many memories of queuing up to see Santa there as a child past the windows with the little puppet scenes!

I remember Brown Thomas doing christmassy windows before. Wasn't last Christmas.

BendiBus

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Did they ever have a Santa in Switzers?

:eek:

The REAL Santa was at Switzers! I met him every year as a child! :pac:

Absolutely loved the windows and the queue to see him. One of my favourite memories of childhood.

Red Sleeping Beauty

BendiBus wrote: »

:eek:

The REAL Santa was at Switzers! I met him every year as a child! :pac:

Absolutely loved the windows and the queue to see him. One of my favourite memories of childhood.

I couldn't remember if it was in Switzers or one of the other shops. I've of the age where when I started going to town without my parents Switzers was long gone but I was only ever brought to town a few times and usually at Xmas, and usually at night to see the window displays. I remember queing for hrs to see the Santa there though.

Gaspode

Switzers was a great store, and a loss to Dublin. And as mentioned, they had the best christmas window display in the country, and it was a treat to go in there every year as a child. I'm sure I still have a 'I've seen Santa at Switzers' badge somewhere!

face2face

Used to work in Roland Cartier shoes in Switzers at Christmas when at college. That was the height of designer shoes back in those days! Abiding memory is punters banging on the windows after closing time on Christmas Eve, desperately trying to get back in to get shoes for Christmas Day. Also being brought in on St. Stephen's Day to unload the containers of crap brought in for the sales. Best part of the whole experience? Off to Macs after work (where Lillies is now for the young people):p

TheScribbler

I wonder if anyone can help me here? I'm writing an article on Switzers and I am trying to trace any old photographs or copies of press advertisements that I could use to accompany it. Can anyone help me here?

Thanks

cosmic

Oh the nostalgia...!

I used to love going to see the window display at Christmas when I was a kid! We'd make a night of it and stand outside looking at it for ages and then go to Eddie Rockets on South Anne Street, it was always one of the best nights of the year!

jeckle

TheScribbler wrote: »

I wonder if anyone can help me here? I'm writing an article on Switzers and I am trying to trace any old photographs or copies of press advertisements that I could use to accompany it. Can anyone help me here?

Thanks

Did you try the Dublin City Library and Archive ,138 - 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 - 1 - 6744999?

email:dublinstudies[at]dublincity.ie or cityarchives[at]dublincity.ie


If not, they might be able to steer you in the right direction.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Brown Thomas are unveiling their window display November 16th. It'll be "brown" alright....

Aussie Sean

sugarman wrote: »

Ah i remember Switzers as a kid, mainly for Santa and the brilliant window displays(I think Clearys used to do kool ones too, like 12 days of xmas or something?) . They used to go right around the side as far as Tower Records and so would the que into the side door to see Santa.

I would always be brought the first day every year as it was either on or very close to my birthday. They always came up of different ways for him to arrive, the only one i can remember though is him beeing brought in on a sleigh lowered from a crane. I remember thinking he was the real santa too becuase it was an actual old guy with white hair and a beard and wore a much better suit than any other, im nearly sure he went to Arnots after there too.

Switzers was a loss to Dublin, what was the story with it anyway, why did it close?

As far as I know Brown Thomas bought out the whole Switzer Group which included such famous names around the country as Moons of Galway,Cashs of Cork and Todds of Limerick and eventually rebranded them all.

Don't think I ever saw Santa at Switzers,it was always the Clearys one for our family. Must ask my Mam why that was.

Sean

Red Sleeping Beauty

Aussie Sean wrote: »

As far as I know Brown Thomas bought out the whole Switzer Group which included such famous names around the country as Moons of Galway,Cashs of Cork and Todds of Limerick and eventually rebranded them all.

Don't think I ever saw Santa at Switzers,it was always the Clearys one for our family. Must ask my Mam why that was.

Sean

Ah probably the aul civil war or Dublin north/southside divide or something

TheScribbler

Jeckle

Thanks for your suggestion. I will follow it up

nanak

Aussie Sean wrote: »

Don't think I ever saw Santa at Switzers, it was always the Clearys one for our family. Must ask my Mam why that was.

Chances are, Sean, that was because everything in Switzer's cost at least four to ten times as much as in Clerys.

I well remember warning friends from abroad against shopping in any store whose prices were shown in both Punts and Dollars ... sure sign of visitor rip-offs back then ... and Switzer's lead the pack on that one!

Wow, is this thread making me feel old! I was working at an Ad Agency writing Arnott's print ads and commercials when you were all in Grafton Street, pressing your little red noses against Switzer's windows!:eek:

lightening

Doherty's?

Colpriz

ah the memories..yes they certainly had the best Xmas dispaly..such excitment I had as a child waiting to go to town that evening with my parents...off topic but does anyone remember Cleary's christmas plastic bag with a huge santa on the front and back? Christ it just sticks in my imagination..such a great childhood memory

Julie

I know this is an old thread but Switzers popped in to my head for some reason today and it brought me here!! My stongest memories are of course of the christmas displays too. I'm from 'down the country' and every year we'd take a trip to Dublin in the run up to Christmas and the highlight would be the Switzers windows. There'd be lines of people 3 or 4 deep trying to see the windows so it was often hard to get a peak. The windows were always really magical and it really made Christmas for me. Then BT took over and replaced the windows with some sophisticated adult **** and I HATED them for it. Even though I was an adult by then, for me, BT stole christmas and I've hated that store and that brand ever since. They ripped the heart out of Grafton St and Christmassy Dublin and I'll never forgive them.

For some reason, I also associate Switzers with those really curvey long neck models of heads that they use to display hats. They must have had a significant hat department because if I think of the word 'Switzers', the image of a black long necked bust appears in my head. Maybe it's because they didn't have these 'down the country' and they looked really sophisticated to a wee country kid, but they really stick out in my head.

prinz

Switzers Christmas windows. Good memories.

Clodagh84

There is a Switzers Staff Reunion planned for Feb 2012. If you are an ex-Switzer`s employee, email me through here, or go to the Switzers facebook page to get details!

jos28

Didn't Switzers open a branch in Henry Street opposite Arnotts back in the early 1980s ? Or am I imagining things

Clodagh84

Yes, there was a Switzers in Henry Street! A much smaller one than the original!