Four-and-a-half months after one of the best known retail businesses in Ballinasloe was badly damaged by fire, the premises opened its doors once again last weekend much to the delight of their loyal customers.
Salmon’s of Ballinasloe were looking forward to the busy Christmas period but experienced the ultimate nightmare of their department short going up in flames on an afternoon in the middle of December.
With just twelve shopping days left to last Christmas, Salmon’s of Ballinasloe were doing what a lot of other businesses were doing – they were preparing pre-ordered gifts, ordering new stock in anticipation of a seasonal late rush and generally hoping that it would be a lucrative run-in to the ‘big day’.
It was around 4.30pm on a Monday afternoon and the store was quite busy with regular customers and those getting in a bit of early Christmas shopping when the owner Dermot Salmon, who was down at the back of the shop at the time, detected smoke and immediately feared the worst.
Following several weeks of renovations the ‘new look’ store reopened last weekend and yesterday the official opening took place with a fanfare of entertainment to celebrate the occasion.
The fire ripped through the front part of the store within a matter of five minutes as he as his mother Peg, who had established this business along with her late husband Tommy back in 1962, looked on helplessly.
It took two units of Ballinasloe Fire Brigade to bring the fire at the department store under control and after a number of weeks assessing the damage caused, works commenced on its renovation early in the New Year
“We were determined that it was going to be reopen having put so much into this business over the years. As soon as we could, we got the shopfitters on board and over the past few weeks, the work has been intense to get it back up and running”, Dermot Salmon explained.
He said that last weekend they decided to have what he described as “a soft opening” before the official event took place yesterday. “The reaction and the support we received over the weekend and the early part of this week has been phenomenal”, he added.
Dermot said that it had been a really busy few days with many coming into the premises to wish them well into the future and even local businesses along Main Street are delighted with the extra footfall it has created in the immediate area.
Back in the early sixties, Salmon’s started off as a newsagents and stationary shop but in its current guise, it still provides those services but also is a major gifts store with jewelry, crystal and woolen sections while also providing an essential school books and accessories for local students.
It also has toys, a pet section, an extensive books range and not forgetting its Lotto facility and Salmon’s have become quite renowned for selling tickets to some major prize winners. There is also an off licence on the premises.
The store dates back to 1962 when Tommy and Peg, who had spent three years working in Chicago, and returned to Ballinasloe to establish a small newsagents and it has grown significantly since then.
Dermot explained that the newly refurbished store is now more open and spacious and that some of their customers actually through they had provided an extension to the premises. “It is just great to be back up and running again”, he said.
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