Ladies fashion shop McElhinney's of Athboy has re-opened.
There was a crowd of up to 100 people gathered outside the shop before it opened this morning. Since then business has been very brisk according to its owner, Neal Sweeney.
The shop closed its doors last month when it went into voluntary liquidation. But last week its management said that it will re-open with all of the staff getting their jobs back. The store employs 56 people.
Founded by Molly McElhinney 73 years ago, the shop had become an iconic retail outlet for ladies' fashions, attracting customers from all over Ireland to Athboy in Co Meath.
But the recession took its toll on the business and it went into voluntary liquidation with debts of nearly €6m. After an agreement between the owners of the business and the Irish fashion company, Flairline, McElhinney's of Athboy re-opened today.
Flairline has 23 separate stores around the country under various names. It says it will be assisting the owners, the Sweeney family, in managing McElhinneys as well as providing additional support.
Mr Sweeney said he was delighted to able to re-open the shop and give all staff their jobs back.
Louth chocolate firm re-opens
Meanwhile, a gourmet chocolate company based in County Louth, which went into receivership last year, is to be re-launched, having been taken over by an Australian private investment company.
Danucci Ltd employed three people in Dundalk and its luxury chocolates were stocked by prestigious stores like Harrods and John Lewis in the UK. It will now be called Ferdia Fine Foods and will re-open in Ardee in the coming weeks. The business was bought by an Australian company, Helsinki Capital Corporation, one of whose directors, Noel Kerr, is from Co Louth.
