A visit to the Cigar Divan, a perfectly preserved Victorian tobacconists in Carlow town.
The Cigar Divan is one of the oldest and most unusual shops in Carlow town. Dating back to 1882 the Cigar Divan on Dublin Street once housed a smoking area to the front and a barber's shop at the back. The current owner of the shop is Esme Harnett, granddaughter of the original proprietor Patrick MacDonald.
Esme Harnett believes the shop got its unusual name because the men of the town could buy their tobacco, have a haircut and smoke on a divan provided by her grandfather.
They’d sit down on the divan and they’d have a smoke and a chat and discuss the topics of the day.
While the divan and the salon are long gone, there are plenty of original fittings left in the Cigar Divan. These include an old weighing scales used for weighing snuff, the mirrors provided by cigarette and tobacco companies in the late 19th century and an ornate biscuit cabinet where biscuits were once sold loose.
Everything is packaged now but in those days everything was sold by weight.
The Cigar Divan sells a wide range of cigarettes including Turkish and French brands. There is demand for these products, particularly from tourists visiting Carlow town during the summer months.
Esma Harnett is the last in the line of the original owning family of the shop. She reckons the tradition will end with her.
This episode of 'Evening Extra’ was broadcast on 29 April 1987. The reporter is Kevin Lenihan.
