Family business has served Roscommon for ninety years

Ninety years is a significant amount of time in the history of any town, but the fact that the McGuinness family have been operating a pharmacy business at Main Street, Roscommon, for ninety years means that they are now one of the very few third generation pharmacy businesses in the west of Ireland. Recently, the premises has undergone a major extension and refurbishment, which has seen the floor space double. The refurbishment allows the business to carry a greatly extended range of products and services, providing a 21st century service for customers in a new state-of-the-art setting. Adapting to new needs in an ever-changing market is nothing new at McGuinness Pharmacy. Since TJ McGuinness purchased the premises in 1918, the pharmacy premises has undergone many changes. Indeed, even before the founder of the McGuinness business set foot in the store, the premises had been operating as a pharmacy since 1891. TJ McGuinness’s son Simon still works in the store and this year he will celebrate 50 years working as a registered pharmacist at Main Street in Roscommon. His son in turn, Ollie and his wife Arlene are both qualified pharmacists and they are joined by Helen Salmon and Patricia Coyle, bringing the number of in-store qualified pharmacists to five. The team is completed by trainee pharmacy technician Assumpta Lennon. Who knows, the youngest member of the family, John, may yet have a future in the pharmacy industry? He’s unlikely to be reading this article just yet, so there’s no pressure on 18-month-old John! A friendly atmosphere and professional service have been the hallmarks of the business for many decades and that’s a tradition that Ollie and Arlene are keen to see continued into the 21st century. Of course, a business doesn’t reach a ninety-year mark without significant support from the local community and this week Ollie thanked the many customers in Roscommon town and surrounding areas who have supported the pharmacy down through the years and looks forward to continued support from the local community. He also thanked the loyal staff for their work ethic and dedication over the years. Apart from the full time staff members, another important part-time staff member in the store is Margaret Conneran from Creggs, who works in the shop area every Monday and Wednesday, coming to McGuinness from the Peter Trieste Centre. Being a locally-owned and run pharmacy is an important aspect of life at McGuinness Pharmacy and Ollie is looking forward to a bright future for the family-owned business. ‘I hope that the extension will bring the family business looking forward into the next century.’ McGuinness Pharmacy is open 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Thursday and Saturday and is open 9 am to 7 pm on Fridays. Telephone the pharmacy on (090) 66 26193 or email mcguinnesschemist1@eircom.net .