A collection of vintage toys, some dating back to the 1890s, has gone on display in a shopfront in Limerick city.
It is being described as a unique trip down memory lane, to view the toys loved by generations of children of the past.
A festive feast with a difference, this collection of treasured children's Christmas toys of the past has created a window of wonder on one of Limerick city’s best known street corners.
Originally Billy Higgins' store, it is now owned by Studio Saol architects, who made the space available to both Randel and Lorna Hodkinson.
They are involved in architectural restoration but have also collected and carefully preserved generations of children’s Christmas toys - toys that have been played with and loved over the decades, including some iconic ones we all recognise.
Randel Hodkinson said: "I have to pay tribute to my father who carefully kept so many toys in boxes over the years, some stretching back to my grandfather’s time. We wanted to see if we could create something magical at this time of year for the city and display all these wonderful toys.
"And we have some really well-known ones. We have an original Mickey Mouse dating back to the 1920s, also Meccano sets from the 1930s, Ladybird books, Spirograph, Dandy and Bunty annuals, as well as Nintendos, Walkmans, Atari and Star Wars sets."
He was helped in the task by his wife Lorna, who said it was very nostalgic for their family to open and select the toys.
"It just brought us right back to those childhood years remembering all the toys we played with. There were a few 'ahh’ moments, it was just fantastic. And the response has been brilliant with so many families coming to gaze at the display. We are definitely going to try and bring a bigger event next Christmas," she added.
Paul O’Brien, who is a lecturer in history at Mary Immaculate College and who helped bring the project to fruition, said the display is a huge trip down memory lane.
"It’s a nostalgia fest for anyone who peers in that window, bringing them right back to the toys they played with as young children," he said.
Dr Matthew Potter who is curator of the Limerick Museum said it is one of the most unique displays of vintage toys anywhere in the country.
"There are very few big window displays of toys now like we had back in the 1950s and 60s, as the internet has replaced that retail experience. But there is a desire for people to visit the past, and this is a really excellent display of many of the toys owned and played with by Limerick children," he said.
The display will remain on the corner of Sarsfield Street and Henry Street until after Christmas, but the Hodkinsons and those who helped them put it together are planning on a bigger display for Christmas 2025.
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