Known as ‘The Brown Thomas’ of New Ross’, the business – located over three floors – has employed many people ever since it opened its doors in 2010. Owned by the late Billy Ryan and his wife Bridget, the fashion department store, lingerie specialists, giftware shop and beauty salon, has been located in a handsome building on the quay close to SuperValu.

In a brief statement, the owners said: “It is with a heavy heart we have made the decision to close our wonderful store. We would like to thank every person that walked through our doors over the last 14 years. We will miss you all and remember ‘live beautifully’.”

The premise was previously the site of John V. Kelly’s which JFK referenced in his speech in New Ross in June 1963, saying that but for his grandfather’s emigration to America he may well have ended up working in the business.

New Ross Chamber chairman, Sean Connick said it will be a huge loss to the town.

“It’s a huge blow to lose this business out of the town. There are two tragedies; the tragedy of the loss of a business and jobs and then the loss to the town. It’s been called the Brown Thomas of New Ross. It had giftware, clothing and lingerie but it also had the beauty salon. It’s hugely disappointing to see it close,” said Mr Connick.

Expressing his sympathy with the Ryan family, he said: “It’s never an easy decision to close a business for whatever reason and the staff have always been excellent. There are a number of people who are going to lose their jobs here and there is a family behind the business. Billy and Bridget opened it 14 years ago and both have been hugely supportive of so many projects in the town over the last 40 years.”

Mr Connick said businesses are going through extremely challenging times. “No matter what sector you are in, it’s very challenging. I’m not sure what the plans for the building are. Hopefully there will either be a new tenant or a purchaser.

“You would be proud of the building as you walked past it on the quay. It’s a flagship building from the famous John V Kelly mention in the Kennedy speech, to it becoming another high end business in the town. The owners installed a lift and ran a high quality shop. You’d be hopeful someone would take on the building or some shop will open as at the moment it’s uncertain.”

He said from a retail perspective, the business closing is a huge loss for the town and the quayfront especially.

“It’s been a very turbulent four years from 2020 right through to now. A lot of businesses are under pressure but there have been a lot of openings in town too like the NCBI shop in the old Noreen O’Donnell’s building on Quay Street and I do think the pedestrianisation of the street will help. On North Street you can see constant investment from the Finn family who are doing a remarkable job. There are a lot of boutiques and niche shops that have opened. Investment in the opticians from Byrnes too, so a lot of people are still willing to invest and believe in the town.”

He said the €1.40 an hour hike in the minimum wage that came in on January 1, coupled with rising energy costs and the increasing price of goods, have all had a knock-on effect on businesses, adding that further pay hikes are happening due to the minimum wage increase.

“Everyone would love to be able to pay people the living wage but there are consequences with a knock-on effect for prices. Everything from a pint of milk to onions has gone up. It’s all heaping pressure on businesses and there are people who warehoused taxes during Covid. We are lucky we are up to date on that but a lot of people are under pressure and will continue to be over the coming months.

“As a chamber our focus will be on continuing to deliver the atmosphere and retail offering of New Ross and working with the council on delivering on the objectives set out in the Town Centre First Plan, looking at retail and at entertainment and everything in New Ross.”

With €750,000 in investment in the Dunbrody Experience visitor centre over the coming months, Mr Connick said between it and works on the greenway and plans contained in the Town Centre First Plan, a number of projects are coming on stream which will make New Ross more attractive to people.

“Work is about to start on The Shambles and Brennan’s Lane in the town and that will all enhance the overall town experience for people and will support, you’d hope, the small businesses in the town.

“New Ross, like many rural towns, is finding things challenging. All you can do is try and soldier through and hope that as we get close to the summer things will pick up. I understand businesses had a very good December. Like me, many business owners are looking forward to getting away from January.”

He said between Brooke’s and Margaret O’Hanlon’s shops and several other family businesses in the town, New Ross has a high quality retail offering. “So many people have invested so much in the town. As a chamber we would ask the people to support the traders in New Ross. Keep buying that coffee and continue to shop right across the year.

“Without local support here at the Dunbrody we wouldn’t still have the restaurant open. The local population are hugely important to all of us here in the town.”

Mr Connick said only by working together can the town grow.

“Yes there will be setbacks, but we have to dust ourselves off and move onto the next phase and hopefully over the next six to 12 months we will see more businesses coming to the town and things will recover. There is great uncertainty around the world due to wars etc and all businesses are challenged. It’s not easy out there but you have to stay positive and turn up every Monday morning and try to get going again.”

A Chamber meeting with the towns retailers is planned over the coming months, which will see the chamber and council present their vision for the town, he said.

“We’ll highlight priorities and objectives to give hope and assurance to business that investment in projects is continuing.”