Thanks to Gregory Dunn for leaving a link to this video in a comment on the site, which has brought an awful lot of nostalgic feelings back. Murphy’s shop in Palmerstown Village is a local institution, it’s old-fashioned shopfront in stark contrast to the Londis next-door and indeed all other shops on the village street. Anyone who grew up or attended school in the area will know it for the pickamix options in shop, old-fashioned sweets you’d only heard of before and the kind of goods unavailable next door in Londis. Many one pound coins were loaned to friends and never spotted again. This is a great bit of local history, as is the shop itself.
There has been a real resurgence in this sort of oral history in recent times. This was a great throwback to the time of schoolbags, obair bhaile and white shirts with black collars. Cheers Gregory!
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
I’m glad you found my short film of interest, I think it’s extremely important to document these aspects of Dublin before it’s too late. If you enjoyed ‘Murphys’ then you may be interested in ‘Sixty Three Talbot Street’, ‘Sole Man’ and ‘Replica’. They are all quite short and to be found here on my Vimeo page.
http://vimeo.com/user4333416/videos
Thanks,
Gregory
This is off-topic a bit, but there’s an old map of Dublin (c. 1850) in my parents’ house and it lists “Palmerston” not “Palmerstown.” Also there are funny little modifications on the signs on the N4 pasted over the end of the word, but both spellings exist. Do you know the backstory of that by any chance?
I’ve walked past that shop almost everyday of my waking life and I’m sad to say I’ve scarely crossed it’s door. I actually didn’t know it was still open for business. The worn, sunbleached posters and raffle prizes gathering dust in the display window always makes me a little sad. Is Fasanage’s still hanging on in there? I remember as schoolkids we used to have to ring the door bell to get in and the shopkeeper, clad in a wife beater would grudgingly open up the shop (since custom is such an inconvinence) which was literally in the room next to where his wife was watching telly. Ah, the good ol’ days! This rose tinted nostalgia lark is all very well and good but when you’re being shouted at by a large middle aged shopkeeper begrudging you a few penny sweets, I think I’ll settle for my local souless corporate chain thanks!
I have only ever found Peg Murphy charming. Make the effort to buy the odd packet of chewing gum (or Frytex) for the experience while it still exists.
Thanks Gregory for creating this video. I often went to Murphys when I was a child and still visit occasionally when I am in Dublin. I have very fond memories of dear Peg and her extremely humorous husband. They are a very important part of Palmerstown’s history.
Murphy’s was my favourite shop when I was small. There was great value to be had in the sweets and loose sweets were always better than any others. There was always great stuff to be won displayed in the shop window. You punched a ticket from the board and matching a number with the item number on display meant you had won that item. I was a great gambler in those days and spent any extra few pence, after buying my sweets of course, on this game. The vegetables sold in the shop were from Murphy’s field which the dual carriageway runs through now. Their friend and mine, Tom Toher of the Avenue grew these for them. Some time later on Tom rented the field behind the church, Riverview houses are there now and grew the vegetables on the plot. Great childhood memories indeed.
I grew up going to this shop and visiting with Peg and Mick. Thanks so much Gregory for making this video. I always remember Peg, so kind and gracious, and Mick, gruff but honest. We bought sweets and eggs and rashers and Frytex and beans and bread. Peg always has a ‘tab’ and if we had no money we would go in and come back out with all the supplies we needed until payday. Thanks again Gregory for the lovely memories.
Loved going into Murphys when I lived in Woodfarm Acres in seventies and eighties! Always bought the block of cal it’s cheese for the kids lunches. I remember these time as very friendly and warm and neighbourly. There was hardly a penny to spare anywhere as the mortgage interest rates were around 17 percent!