Jars of apple drops, old cigarette boxes and notes asking for everything from soft drinks to 'love books' are among the items at a new exhibition which opens today at the CHQ exhibition space in Dublin.
'Pride of Place' was curated by photographer Maria McGrane who grew up on Sheriff Street where her family ran Mattie's sweet shop until the 1970s.
Maria described the shop as a type of community centre, where people met to exchange news, check in on each other and of course buy everything from penny sweets to cigarettes and household items.
Although Sheriff Street has experienced social deprivation, Maria said that while she was growing up it was a thriving community with many men employed as dockers.
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A subsequent economic downturn led to many men losing their jobs which had a devastating impact on their families and their own mental health.
However, despite this, Maria remembered an area with great community spirit and resilience, an indomitable spirit which, she said, endures to this day.
"My aim in undertaking this photography exhibition is to redress the imbalance that a known reputation creates, as it leaves a deep crevasse across the soul of a community.
"Sheriff Street is rich in community spirit that's deeply rooted in past generations and endures today and continues to live inside all of us who once called it home," she said.
One of the highlights of this exhibition is a collection of notes from customers sent to Maria's father Noel when he was running the shop.
The notes, which ask for goods like chocolate, sweets or ice-pops are a piece of written history which tell a great deal about the Dublin of their time.
One customer said she is returning carrots because too many were sent with her order, another asks for 'love books' alongside her sweets.
The exhibition also features photographic portraits of people who grew up in the area and remember Mattie's.
Writer Peter Sheridan, whose photo is featured in the exhibition, said it is a 'treasure trove' and has urged people from Sherigf Street and the surrounding areas to come and visit.
The exhibition runs throughout the week at CHQ in central Dublin.
