Shock as iconic Dunnes Stores in Louth set to shut

Dunnes Stores on West Street in Drogheda will close on 31st October, it has emerged. 

The store has served the town for over half a century. It is believed over 20 employees will be affected by the shutdown.

Louth Senator Alison Comyn has said the move will be “devastating” for workers and their families. 

The senator further said: “It is an important store because it is on the main street and is used by elderly people and vulnerable customers, so it will be a great loss to them. There are two others on the outskirts of the town. 

“The irony is that Ben Dunne himself trained as a draper on West Street in Drogheda in the 1920s, where he first worked in Anderson's. The store on West Street has been there since the 1960s and, as I said, its closure will decimate the main street. 

“Another irony is that we have just received funding from the living city initiative in Drogheda and in Dundalk. This is designed to encourage the use of town centre stores, town centre locations, living over the shop and all those kinds of things that will breathe life into our town centres. I want to try to promote a wider discussion for the likes of retailers to please have a look and see what the removal of such a vital store will do to a town centre. 

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“There are stores on the outskirts, but not everybody has a car or other means of transport to and from those larger stores. We are trying to breathe life into our town centres, so for this to happen is devastating. My first thoughts, of course, are with the staff, but second are to the customers and residents in the town centres. It is another conversation we need to have about protecting our town centres.”