Music retailer HMV is to make a return to Ireland, seven years after it closed its last remaining shop here.
The company is to open a new outlet on Dublin's Henry Street by the middle of July this year and has indicated more will follow.
It will be the firm’s first flagship store outside the UK since it was taken over by a new owner four years ago.
The chain will be taking the 6,000 square foot unit at 18 Henry Street.
HMV shut its final premises in Ireland in 2016 and went online only, before it also shut down the website here two years later.
In 2019, Sunrise Records, the Ontario-based business owned by music retail mogul Doug Putman, bought the remaining UK business and assets of HMV out of administration, saving 100 stores and nearly 1,500 jobs.
Sunrise had previously bought around 70 HMV stores in Canada in 2017 from then owner Hilco.
Today the chain has 120 stores across the UK as well as an ecommerce website and recently announced it was returning to its old Oxford Street store, which it vacated in 2019.
Sunrise has pivoted the concept to focus more on music fans and communities, offering performance spaces for live music, shows and signings, as well as the traditional music merchandise.
"Our return to Ireland marks the culmination of the team’s hard work having established a new HMV shopping experience across the UK," said Mr Putman.
"We are now in a position to expand that concept into Europe. While fans will be able to get their hands on the latest and limited release vinyl and the hottest audio technology, truly indulging their love of music, they will also be able to express their passion for pop culture with ranges that can’t be found anywhere else in Dublin under one roof."
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Mr Putman also hinted that additional stores will be on their way in Ireland.
"We want Henry Street to become a home for a new community of fans to come together," he stated.
"What's more, we hope that once we’ve got our feet back under the table in Ireland, further HMV shop openings will follow."
The new Dublin store, owned by Irish Life Investment Managers (ILIM), will have three floors of space, stocking 15,000 products and 5,000 vinyl albums, as well as 5,500 CDs.
"We are delighted to partner with HMV on the opening of their new store and would like to welcome them back to Ireland," said Sarah Coyle from ILIM.
"We are seeing very strong demand from tenants looking to locate in premier retail locations like 18 Henry Street, with footfall having bounced back strongly to pre-pandemic levels."
The managing director of HMV says that streaming has a huge massive part to play in the music industry but that it has becoming increasingly evident that people want to buy their music in shops and have a fuller experience.
Phil Halliday said a balance has emerged over the last five years in particular with customers showing an increased desire to buy music in places where they can interact with other music fans and experts.
Mr Halliday told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the new HMV shop in Dublin will sell vinyl and CDs as well as various other products.
"It's a bit of a haven for collectors and anyone who's into all aspects of pop culture," he said.
