After more than eight decades serving the people of Ballaghaderreen, Towey’s shop has closed its doors for the final time, bringing the curtain down on one of the town’s longest-running family businesses.
The grocery and newsagents, founded in 1943, ceased trading at 3pm last Saturday, having drawn a steady stream of customers who called in not just to shop, but to say goodbye.
For many, the closure marks the loss of more than a retail outlet; it signals the passing of a cornerstone of Main Street life.
Towey’s first opened its doors during the war years in the 1940s, when small, independent grocery stores formed the backbone of Irish town life. Over the decades, it evolved as times changed, expanding to include a newsagency service, lottery sales and a counter area that doubled as an informal community noticeboard.
It was a place where tickets were sold for local raffles, musicals and pantomimes; where football teams returned after matches; where neighbours met for conversation.
In the days leading up to the closure, the atmosphere in Ballaghaderreen was reflective. Customers lingered longer than usual. Photographs were taken outside the familiar frontage.
Local councillor Michéal Frain told the Roscommon People that his connection to Towey’s stretches back to his childhood.
“My earliest memory (of the role of Towey’s in the community) is of walking down the street as a child and hearing the majestic voice of Michael O’Hehir (RTE GAA commentator) bellowing across the town from the radio sitting on top of the petrol pump,” he said. “It genuinely felt like the whole town stood still. That was my first introduction to football and ‘Championship Sunday’. And I suppose it was my first introduction to the institution that was Towey’s.
“It wasn’t just a shop, Towey’s was an institution,” Cllr Frain added. “It was where you sold your tickets for the draw for your musical, your pantomime, your charity event. When you played football or managed a team and came back with the cup, you went back to Towey’s. It was everything about the town.”
He described the premises as “your chatbox before social media”.
Michéal added: “It was the essence of community. It was a place people went to be together, apart from (for) shopping. It was media without the sources”.
Throughout the decades, the Towey family were known for their quiet support of local initiatives. Whether sponsoring events, promoting fundraisers or simply offering encouragement, the shop’s role extended far beyond retail.
“Imelda never stood back, nor did her father or mother before her. They always helped and supported people,” Cllr Frain said.
“That was especially evident during Covid” he added, noting “the extremes Imelda and her staff went to to reach people who couldn’t get to the shop when they were practising social distancing.”
While last weekend’s closure prompted some sadness – at the end of an era – there was also a strong sense of goodwill towards proprietor Imelda Towey as she steps into retirement.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” Cllr Frain said of the final days of trading. “There was sadness and reminiscing, but we have to be conscious of the fact that Imelda has done her bit. She’s not closing because business wasn’t there; it was a busy shop. She’s retiring, and we’re delighted for her.”
He added that the town takes comfort in knowing the decision comes at a positive time in Imelda’s life.
“She said herself on the last day that she wants to do a bit of travelling, to get out and enjoy life, to live a good, active life. It’s sad, and the town will miss her, but it’s also a happy moment for the next chapter.
“She was surrounded by her family on the final day. She’s in good health, which is great, and she’s going to enjoy the many years she still has ahead of her. The service she gave was second to none.”
The closure of Towey’s also reflects broader changes facing rural towns, where independent family-run shops have become increasingly rare. Yet the narrative in Ballaghaderreen is not one of decline, but of gratitude… for longevity, for service, and for the relationships built over 83 years.
As the key turned in the lock at 3 pm on Saturday, a chapter closed not only for the Towey family, but for the town itself.
Towey’s may no longer trade, but its place in the collective memory of Ballaghaderreen is secure, a reminder of a time when the local shop was the heartbeat of the community.
