“We opened seven days…Sunday was a great day for the soft ice-cream machine”

Very few of us do anything interesting on a Tuesday evening… However, last Tuesday, 24th July I had the privilege of sitting and chatting with Jimmy Whelan of Whelan’s Foodstore and Newsagents. Even though I called in the middle of the six o’clock news, ever the gentleman, Jimmy was more than happy to be interviewed about his 50+ years in business and provide a fascinating insight into Killaloe & Ballina from the 1960’s onwards.

Sitting in his beautiful, historic home, which was once the residence and surgery of Dr Mary Courtney for over forty years, Jimmy is surrounded by framed reminders of his family, his business, and his life. Of particular interest is the framed hand-written note inside his front door dated 30th January 1964 – the day he and his late wife Eileen opened their shop on Church Street in the building which was known locally as Crowes. This is the building currently being repainted, and is located opposite Kincora House B&B. Consisting of a shop and a small kitchen downstairs and a living room and two bedrooms upstairs, Jimmy and his wife paid rent of £2 a week for this premises. They moved to the current premises in 1970 and are still going strong!

Jimmy and his daughter Eveleen – who he has now passed the torch to – detailed, what I can only imagine, was a bustling town with grocery shops, butcher shops, drapery shops and newsagents from the Green all the way down the Main Street. Jimmy even spoke about Maggie Ryan’s husband who had petrol pumps near the Bank. Looking at this area today, I find it hard to picture anyone being able to stop up for a fill of petrol outside the current AIB. This just goes to show the changes that Jimmy has witnessed since moving in to Killaloe in 1963.

Jimmy also spoke about his years playing accordian with the Jimmy Whelan dance band from the mid 1960s, travelling around the country to South Kerry, North Galway and the midlands playing to 200 – 300 people every Sunday night. “The dances would go on until 1am and we would have to drive sometimes up to 60 or 70 miles to get home and you still had to get up and go to work the next morning,” he remarked. I get the feeling that Jimmy certainly wouldn’t agree with a recent trend of “duvet days”.

Between opening seven days a week, allowing people to shop ‘on the book’, bringing Santa Claus to the shop every Christmas, and having the best ice-cream in the town, Jimmy and his family have certainly provided an excellent service to the people of Killaloe & Ballina over the past five decades, and continue to do so to this day.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jimmy and Eveleen for taking me on this fantastic trip back in time.

by Arlene White, Secretary