Historic shop in Limerick city centre wins bi-monthly Tidy Towns award

A HISTORIC shop with a unique old-style frontage has been honoured by Limerick City Tidy Towns.

The voluntary group has given its bi-monthly award to Cahill’s shop at Wickham Street in the city centre, which is well known for selling both tea and tobacco.

The prize covers September and October, and also recognised the shop window of its premises, which proudly displays some of the outlet’s many wares.

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Maura O’Neill, Limerick City Tidy Towns revealed the group had given the award to Eleanor Purcell, who has run the shop for almost 50 years, based on a recommendation.

She described it as a “beautiful little gem of shop” and pointed to its original external traditional signage and internal shelving and counter-top which remain preserved from its time as a tobacco and snuff factory.

“Given the amount of historic shop frontages that have been replaced by plastic modern signage, it is a joy to see this one so beautifully maintained and remaining an important part of Limerick’s built retail heritage,” Maura added.

Cahill’s is housed in the former tobacco and snuff factory, and has served the people of Limerick since 1870.

As well as tobacco and snuff, it also offers so-called ‘gentlemen’s gifts’ like Swiss army knives, wet shaving kits and hip-flasks.

Its tea is sourced in gardens and plantations in China, India, Sri Lanka and Japan.

Cahill’s Tea is Limerick City Tidy Town’s fifth winner for 2025 and will be in with a chance to be the Overall Winner for the year.

Already honoured this year are Crew Brewing Company in Thomas Street, Mike O’Connell Menswear, Katie Daly’s Heritage Pub and the Richmond Terrace residents group.

If you wish to nominate a business in the city for an award or indeed to volunteer with Limerick City Tidy Towns, they meet every Sunday morning at 11am at the Thomas Street/O’Connell Street junction.