Tralee thread

Ciarrai76

Great crowds around for the Tralee food festival this weekend. We went down today and it was a lovely atmosphere and great weather thankfully!

Ciarrai76

I just read on Facebook (on the Kerry's eye page), that Caball's toy and book shop in Bridge street will be closing down in June after 99 years in business! Its due to retirement, but it will be sad to see it go.

Erik Shun

Ciarrai76 wrote: »

I just read on Facebook (on the Kerry's eye page), that Caball's toy and book shop in Bridge street will be closing down in June after 99 years in business! Its due to retirement, but it will be sad to see it go.

Yes indeed, as talking to Ann earlier today and the time is right for her, she's been there 50 years throughout her life...long time to be in any one place, and as she said herself, she's going out on her own terms, wishing her a very happy retirement

ongarboy

An old school Tralee shop from our childhoods. Sad to see it go but it is a sign of the times. Small independents struggle to complete with online or multinationals.

Ciarrai76

ongarboy wrote: »

An old school Tralee shop from our childhoods. Sad to see it go but it is a sign of the times. Small independents struggle to complete with online or multinationals.

True, although they always seem to be busy. We bought a few things in there in the past couple of years, probably more than we bought in Smyths.

I had to stop going in with my toddler as he doesn't grasp the fact that he can't have everything in the shop and the little tantrums start! Although he was Probably repeating history if I was anything to go by at that age! Karma on me!

Pirates Ale

Thats a pity, its surprising nobody wants to take it over as a going concern, but maybe the owners dont want that.
That will mean Smyths will be the only dedicated Toy shop in Tralee!

Forge83

Pirates Ale wrote: »

Thats a pity, its surprising nobody wants to take it over as a going concern, but maybe the owners dont want that.
That will mean Smyths will be the only dedicated Toy shop in Tralee!

It’s surely that they don’t want that. I’d consider taking it on myself if it was available, even with a name change.

Erik Shun

Forge83 wrote: »

It’s surely that they don’t want that. I’d consider taking it on myself if it was available, even with a name change.

You'd end up a very poor man

Forge83

Erik Shun wrote: »

You'd end up a very poor man

But I’d have loads of toys to play with every day ha ha.
I actually have a good friend in marketing with Smyths Ireland. He has always said the small independents made it too easy for Smyths buy not modernizing.

adam88

That building and the building next door towards bridge st would be ideal to be redeveloped to bring some new life into the town.

Pirates Ale

adam88 wrote: »

That building and the building next door towards bridge st would be ideal to be redeveloped to bring some new life into the town.

It will probably end up being yet another restaurant or coffee shop :rolleyes:

Erik Shun

adam88 wrote: »

That building and the building next door towards bridge st would be ideal to be redeveloped to bring some new life into the town.

Quanes? That building is protected I believe ...can't be knocked or altered.. caballs and the bookshop would have to be totally gutted, costly job for someone taking it on

Forge83

Erik Shun wrote: »

Quanes? That building is protected I believe ...can't be knocked or altered.. caballs and the bookshop would have to be totally gutted, costly job for someone taking it on

With the amount of vacant buildings in the town I would doubt that redevelopment at a very large cost would be viable or worthwhile.

Erik Shun

Forge83 wrote: »

With the amount of vacant buildings in the town I would doubt that redevelopment at a very large cost would be viable or worthwhile.

Spot on, unfortunately

ongarboy

Wasn't something similar done with Bridge inn/Sol travel? That was multiple units merged together for the new redevelopment underway now.

Caballs gradually acquired 4 or 5 original shops which you can see from the footprint of the buildings. I had a friend whose family ran Husseys sweetshop in one of them years ago. They will have to be redeveloped as a combined unit as no modern retailer will trade out of individual tiny units...apart from maybe vape or cash for gold shops and we don't need more of them.

On a separate note, did that little French shop that was in the old Gem newsagents close down. I saw it being gutted recently so not sure if they're refurbishing. I did wonder if it was a bit too niche for Tralee.

Ciarrai76

ongarboy wrote: »

Wasn't something similar done with Bridge inn/Sol travel? That was multiple units merged together for the new redevelopment underway now.

Caballs gradually acquired 4 or 5 original shops which you can see from the footprint of the buildings. I had a friend whose family ran Husseys sweetshop in one of them years ago. They will have to be redeveloped as a combined unit as no modern retailer will trade out of individual tiny units...apart from maybe vape or cash for gold shops and we don't need more of them.

On a separate note, did that little French shop that was in the old Gem newsagents close down. I saw it being gutted recently so not sure if they're refurbishing. I did wonder if it was a bit too niche for Tralee.

Yeah that French shop closed down. I didn’t expect them last in that location. It’s a shame those types of shops don’t survive in this town.

adam88

Anyone want to talk about the elephant in the town that is the shopping centre. What an absolute waste of prime retail town centre space. Any business that sets up there doesn’t be long closing down. It opens onto three areas of the town. How it hasn’t been gutted is beyond me.

ongarboy

adam88 wrote: »

Anyone want to talk about the elephant in the town that is the shopping centre. What an absolute waste of prime retail town centre space. Any business that sets up there doesn’t be long closing down. It opens onto three areas of the town. How it hasn’t been gutted is beyond me.

IIRC, one of the challenges there is that several of the units there are owner occupied as opposed to being rented which is the usual case with modern shopping centres that have an overall landlord so unless all occupiers agree to leave, nothing can be done as a whole with the site. I know a large chunk of units were sold in one go a few years back so I'd say that was some developer performing speculative acquisition. Agreed, it's a dead retail space in the centre of town. The units are tiny and not fit for 21st century retail purposes in their current shape. I only ever use it as a short cut if it's raining and for nothing else.

Ciarrai76

ongarboy wrote: »

IIRC, one of the challenges there is that several of the units there are owner occupied as opposed to being rented which is the usual case with modern shopping centres that have an overall landlord so unless all occupiers agree to leave, nothing can be done as a whole with the site. I know a large chunk of units were sold in one go a few years back so I'd say that was some developer performing speculative acquisition. Agreed, it's a dead retail space in the centre of town. The units are tiny and not fit for 21st century retail purposes in their current shape. I only ever use it as a short cut if it's raining and for nothing else.

Yeah, a big chunk was sold and they are just sitting & waiting for either the rest of them to close down & sell up to them! Then they will probably gut it and redevelop it, but for now they can obviously afford to just do nothing!
Its a shame..

g1983d

adam88 wrote: »

Anyone want to talk about the elephant in the town that is the shopping centre. What an absolute waste of prime retail town centre space. Any business that sets up there doesn’t be long closing down. It opens onto three areas of the town. How it hasn’t been gutted is beyond me.

If they could combine it with the empty Dunnes init your ha e a serious town centre retail space, move shaws in there then and level their building to open the town centre up to the denny site

feargale

Is Tom Murnane hurling for Kerry this year or is he suspended? Thanks.

Erik Shun

feargale wrote: »

Is Tom Murnane hurling for Kerry this year or is he suspended? Thanks.

Retired

feargale

Erik Shun wrote: »

Retired

Thanks. Not that old, is he?

Pirates Ale

g1983d wrote: »

If they could combine it with the empty Dunnes init your ha e a serious town centre retail space, move shaws in there then and level their building to open the town centre up to the denny site

And who pays for all this?!

Erik Shun

feargale wrote: »

Thanks. Not that old, is he?

He had at least 10 years at intercounty level, retired a few months before he picked up his ban at club level

feargale

Erik Shun wrote: »

He had at least 10 years at intercounty level, retired a few months before he picked up his ban at club level

He will be a big loss to Kerry.

g1983d

Pirates Ale wrote: »

And who pays for all this?!

Developers, I know it's unlikely but if it did make sense to do it private developers would be thobly way of doing it

Erik Shun

Abrakebabra has closed down permanently, had been shut since last weekend, but officially confirmed this morning

bobdcow

Erik Shun wrote: »

Abrakebabra has closed down permanently, had been shut since last weekend, but officially confirmed this morning

any reason for this? I didn't visit often but I have fond memories of my 1st taco fries there!

oeb

bobdcow wrote: »

any reason for this? I didn't visit often but I have fond memories of my 1st taco fries there!

According to Radio Kerry, their most recent insurance quote was three times last year's one, and they would reopen if they could find insurance that made commercial sense.


https://www.radiokerry.ie/long-standing-tralee-business-forced-close-due-spiralling-insurance-costs/