{"id":429375,"date":"2026-05-02T22:26:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T22:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/429375\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T22:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T22:26:16","slug":"15-iconic-dublin-shops-and-restaurants-from-the-80s-and-90s-we-wish-had-never-closed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/429375\/","title":{"rendered":"15 iconic Dublin shops and restaurants from the 80s and 90s we wish had never closed"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Clerys to Woolworths, a nostalgic journey through Dublin’s most iconic shop closures that defined 80s and 90s retail history\"We<\/p>\n

We still miss these iconic places<\/p>\n

As the traditional saying suggests, change is inevitable.<\/p>\n

This phrase might as well have been coined specifically for Dublin’s retail landscape.<\/p>\n

Through the decades there’s been substantial transformation and we’ve bid farewell to numerous beloved institutions.<\/p>\n

However, nothing stirs the emotions quite like a dose of nostalgia, so from Woolies to Boyers and all points between, we’ve chosen to turn back the clock and reminisce.<\/p>\n

Here are some of our cherished establishments, vanished but fondly remembered.<\/p>\n

Dolphin Discs<\/p>\n

They were absolutely everywhere. At one point, there was a branch on Marlborough St, two situated around the corner on Talbot Street (directly opposite one another) and the flagship store stood on Moore Street. This reporter can vouch for that – having been employed there years back.<\/p>\n

If you fancied the newest Sonny Knowles’ cassette, various Celtic Moods \/ Celtic panpipes \/ Celtic chanting albums, the Pope’s Latin Mass or numerous compilations of traditional Irish music or rebel ballads, Dolphin Discs was your ultimate destination.<\/p>\n

QuinnsworthContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

Well before Tesco’s arrival, Quinnsworth dominated the city.<\/p>\n

Soccer CityContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The Aston Quay outlet was formerly the premier destination for purchasing replica football jerseys in the capital, as this 90s segment from RTE’s Head2Toe demonstrates.<\/p>\n

Road recordsContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The cherished Fade Street independent record shop shut its doors on 24 July 2010, leaving Dublin’s music enthusiasts heartbroken.<\/p>\n

Clerys<\/p>\n

Clery’s Department store which has closed for business on O’ Connell Street, Dublin(Image: Collins Photo Agency)<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most notable entry, the legendary department store vanished overnight after closing on 12 June 2015.<\/p>\n

Dunkin donutsContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

One branch traded on Grafton Street while another operated in UCD’s student union building. The likelihood is they’d vanished before you even realised they were there!<\/p>\n

Boyers\"Boyers<\/p>\n

Boyers Department Store(Image: Collins\/Gareth Chaney)<\/p>\n

Another legendary department store, Boyers shut its doors in January 2016.<\/p>\n

Mad HatterContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

This Dublin<\/a> hat retailer was particularly memorable for the Alice in Wonderland artwork adorning its shop front.<\/p>\n

WoolworthsContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The Grafton Street Woolworths was once as legendary as any retailer in the capital, welcoming customers in 1914, before shutting in 1984 alongside 17 other Woolworths branches across Ireland, including the Henry Street outlet above.<\/p>\n

WendysContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The well-known American fast food chain – which is amusingly based in Dublin, Ohio – launched its first overseas restaurant on Talbot Street, before it shut in the early 90s. Although it has since made a comeback in Ireland with a restaurant in Cork<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chicago pizza pie factoryContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The enormously popular American pizza restaurant – unforgettable for its Chicago Bears artwork and getting customers to stand on their seats while workers sang happy birthday – was a fixture at St Stephens Green in the 80s and 90s, before it was taken over by TGI Fridays.<\/p>\n

Thomas Gear JewellersContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

Thomas Gear Jewellers operated for 33 years in the Ilac Centre, before shutting down in February 2016.<\/p>\n

SwitzersContent cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n

The legendary outlet – renowned for its extravagant Christmas<\/a> displays – was acquired by Brown Thomas in 1990, though you can still spot its signage on Wicklow<\/a> Street.<\/p>\n

HMV<\/p>\n

HMV Dublin vinyl collection(Image: Barry Arnold)<\/p>\n

Departed, returned and departed again, HMV we hardly knew ye.<\/p>\n

Peats World of Electronics<\/p>\n

Peats World of Electronics on Parnell Street(Image: Collins)<\/p>\n

Who could forget Peats? It was the go-to destination for your Commodore 64 or Atari. The Parnell Street institution, which had been a staple for 80 years, shut its doors in 2012, before making a comeback the following year – but it wasn’t meant to be.<\/p>\n

BHS<\/p>\n

British Home Store (BHS) arrived on O’Connell Street in the 80s before shutting up shop in the early 90s. Penneys continues to occupy that vast retail space to this day.<\/p>\n

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