Two and a half years ago a Herald investigation into how Dubliners are coping with the recession presented pessimism and gloom, now however it seems they are much more hopeful for the future.
Residents of Vernon Avenue, Clontarf provided a snapshot of how the country was coping with the down turn.
Revisiting the street now a strong sense of community has restored the village atmosphere and local business is booming with all shop units on the avenue occupied.
Shop-Owner
Shop-owner and chair of the traders’ association Gus O’Hara says that things have improved a lot since the Herald’s first visit to Vernon Avenue.
“We’ve moved on a thousand miles since that first article.”
“There was a reaction to the headline; we decided after that we wanted to make Clontarf work.”
Residents and traders have worked hard to turn things around and have decided they don’t want the recession on their road.
“We cancelled the recession. Every shop front on the road is occupied. Traders have been taking a positive approach.”
“We had to go back to basics to generate interest; all the locals are getting involved.”
“We want to make Clontarf a place where people will want to go to and eat.”
Originally from Foxford, Co Mayo, Gus says that two-and-a-half years ago that the doom and gloom of the recession didn’t offer much hope, but things have since changed dramatically.
“For 10 years retailers sailed on a wave, then a few shops closed. But people are much more optimistic now; we’ve managed to turn things around.”
Gus puts Clontarf’s success down to a small dedicated team of local people and talked of how others are hoping to learn from their success.
“There was a team of about 10 dynamic people who got together. We knew that it was about keying into the community.”
“We’ve had other communities talk to us so that we could tell our story and they could learn from what we’ve done.”
Fisn ‘n’ Chip
Richard Beshoff (47) of Beshoff’s in Clontarf
The fish and chip industry appears to have stayed in good health since the recession hit, with Richard explaining how Beshoffs are already employing 50 people in their restaurants, including the one on Vernon Avenue which was established 47 years ago.
“We’re employing 50 staff at the moment and we have expansion plans this year and we’ll be hoping to employ 40 more by Christmas.”
Richard, who lives with his wife Renatta and his two sons in Sutton, said that business has been good the last two years, and that the recession has actually had a good effect of the local sense of community.
“People got carried away during the tiger years. I’d say about 20pc of restaurants folded. We’ve reduced the prices we charge, and we’ve the healthiest fish and chips in Dublin.”
“The last two years Clontarf businesses and residents have gotten together and they’ve done great.”
Richard was born and bred in Howth, but it was his grandparents who first set up the family-run fish and chip business when they emigrated from Russia in 1904, he explains how the historical success of the business alone would not have been enough to spare them the effects of the recession.
“It doesn’t matter how well established you are, it’s about quality of service and value for money and you have to continue that.”
The Pensioner
Leslie Malone (68) who is originally from Birmingham but moved to Clontarf in 1972 said that older people have accepted the recession better than younger people who wouldn’t have see it before.
“I think there’s more of an acceptance among older people. It’s harder for the young people, they’re not used to it; their families are growing and developing.
“They’re worried about their jobs and companies are still crumbling.”
Despite her worries for those around the retired hospital physicist says she’s lucky as her two children still have their jobs and they haven’t been trapped by a big mortgage.
“My two children are still living quite close by.
“My daughter (Frances, 32) works in tourism. Her company had a rough time earlier in the year and they had to cut her back to three days, it’s a worrying time for her.”
“My son (David, 37) is a mathematician, he works out in Maynooth. He got a research grant; he’s not doing so badly. They’re trying to employ students; he wants to employ more people but he can’t.
“I’m so lucky really. So many people have had to see a member of their family having to go abroad. It’s tough for people to see your children in such dreadful circumstances.”
Entrepreneur
Karen Mulvaney (37) had two businesses on the first visit to Vernon Avenue in 2009, one in retail and one in property.
Her retail business, Mischa’s shoes named after her four-year-old daughter was forced into fold as the recession bit last year.
However, her property business, The Buyer’s Agent, has been a surprise success.
“I’m surprised how well it was going to be honest. At the time of the initial article, I had two businesses – one in retail and the other property but now unfortunately I only have one but it is going really well.”
Despite the bursting of the property the mother-of-three’s business is still proving hugely successful.
“Buying was strong last year and we expected this year to be better again but it hasn’t been as good this year. We’re still on track; it’s just not as good as last year.”
“People thought it had bottomed out last year so a lot of people bought, but this year people are holding back and I think we’re going to see a fall in house prices again by the end of the year.”
“We were lucky last year, about 50pc were cash buyers. These weren’t people who had any great insight or anything but people who had sold at the people who had sold at the height of the peak.”
Hairdresser
Joseph Bell (50) has run Hair Matters with his wife Vivienne for nearly 20 years.
They hope to operate the salon for another 20 but say they have had to adapt to change.
“The dynamics of business have certainly changed.
“People are more discerning now on how much they spend and how often they spend and then people are working on the black market as well which is affecting us.”
“People have reduced the frequency of their visits from about eight or nine times a year to about six.”
Joseph puts the survival of his family-run business down to satisfied locals who keep returning, however they are still struggling.
“We have a loyal clientele though so we lucky, but business is still down by around 20 to 25pc. We’ve reduced our overheads as much as we can and we’ve had to reduce the days the staff work.”
“It’s really just about staying in business now, we’re not trying to make a profit anymore, we’re just trying to keep the door open.”
As is common around the country, upward only rent reviews are proving difficult for the 20-year-old salon.
“Rent is killing us. We have upward only rent reviews; we had no choice, that was what everyone was doing at the time. We have a review this year and we need it to go down, not up.”
“People say they can go to Spain and get their hair done for a third of the price in Ireland. That’s because rates in Spain are a third of what they are here.”
Despite the gloom, the father of two (Alan, 17 and Simon, 14) remains hopeful for the future.
“We’ve been in this for 20 years and we’ll hopefully be doing it for another 20 years.”
Deli manager
Michael Fitzgerald (37) is the regional retail manager for The Butler’s Pantry on the road.
The company, established 24 years ago by Eileen Bergan, has actually expanded in the city and on Vernon Avenue he’s noticed that it is getting better.
“Things have improved marginally. The business community in the area have gotten together and traded ideas.”
“People are shopping local. The business association have been hosting different events to remind people that everything they need is on the avenue.”
Michael, originally from Tipperary, but now living in Clontarf, said that an integrated community effort has helped restore the locality.
“All the businesses are still there since 2009. That has a lot to do with the locals getting behind the businesses.”
“We’re creating a village feel in the city. Clontarf is lucky; it feels like a local area.
“Quality of service is still important. People are realising that they don’t want to lose things in their area. They want the community shops to stay open.”
He has noticed that they are more price conscious compared to previous years.
“We were able to introduce a new price structure. We’re working hard, and we’re having to work longer hours but anything is possible.”
“It’s a two-pronged thing, we introduced a whole range or products, more seasonal products and more and more prices to suit different people. Prices have come down as well.”
“There is still a focus on quality, quality is the cornerstone.”
The Restaurateur
Liam Mulloughney opened his family-run restaurant on Vernon Avenue in May 2009 and remains hopeful on the future in the price driven business.
“We’re keeping it steady. We’ve had a few good reviews; Paulo Tulio was in, which gave us a good lift.”
The five-star review will certainly have helped the popular restaurant, but Liam knows that it is his local customers who are so important to his continued success.
“Its funny how things have come full circle, from the mid to late 90s when everything was so global and people were jumping out all the time, in the last years – probably we have the recession to thank – we’ve got a village atmosphere going again. Personally, I love it!”
“We organised the Clontarf Midsummer Festival with like-minded local businesses and the support of DCC. It attracted 5,000 visitors, a great family fun and food day out.
Mulloughney’s employs 20 staff at their restaurant which has become a firm favourite among locals on Vernon Avenue.
“We still buy Irish sourced and seasonal produce where we can. Hopefully people will go for the quality but in this economy people are going to be price driven.”
The family-run business initially only opened during the day time but as customers steadily increased they were able to extend their opening hours after four successful months.
“It’s all cost driven though, people will pay for whatever is the cheapest.”
“We have a place in Phibsborough as well and there was a guy just down from us selling breakfasts for €4. We couldn’t compete with that, he couldn’t afford it either and he eventually had to close down.”
Auctioneer
Joe McCabe (55) said was thankful of an improvement this year compared to the slowdown of last year.
“This year was better; people are selling provided the price is right.”
Mr McCabe said they noticed the decrease in house prices as far back as 2006.
Looking back on it now, the father of two questions people’s motives in the boom times
“Prices have halved on the figures we hand in 2006, they were mad in the first place – people were greedy.”
With the jitters in the property market continuing to unnerve people Joe, whose wife is a teacher, expects things turn around but that there is a need to end the slide first.
“People are looking for that element of comfort and they’re not prepared to return to property unless the downturn is halted.”
Joe says he is hopeful for the future despite the difficulties.
“We haven’t been able to turn it yet but we’re hanging in there.”
(for the Evening Herald July 2011)
