Clery's Store, O'Connell Street, Dublin

Architect	Ashlin & Coleman
Date Built	1920
Location	O'Connell Street
Description
The Clery's Store on O'Connell Street, in the heart of Dublin, is something of a landmark. As in other places around the world, Dubliners often arranged to meet below the clock, in this case the one projecting over the pavement at Clery's. The first store on this site was destroyed during the Easter Rising. The General Post Office, at the heart of the fighting during the Rising, sits across O'Connell Street. The Clery's we see today was heavily based on the design of Selfridges in London and I have seen it suggested that it may have had the same architect, Robert Atkinson. Clery's website says that, "... In 1941 the shop was purchased by a local draper Mr. Denis Guiney who ran the enormously successful retail emporium of Guineys on Talbot Street. He brought the philosophy of high volumes and low prices formula to the Clery's Store and transformed it into Ireland's premier shopping destination, bustling with shopper's assured of good quality merchandise at great prices. Mr. Guiney passed away in 1967 leaving the running of the store to his late wife, Mrs. Mary Guiney who survived her husband until 2004. Today the business continues to be run by the Board of Directors on behalf of the shareholders who are mainly relatives of Denis and Mary Guiney." In 2004 a €22m refurbishment of the store was completed. During the reconstruction, " ... each floor was totally revamped to offer customers a truly modern shopping experience while keeping in mind the heritage and architecture of the store. The store retains many listed structures including a marble staircase, columns, decorative plasterwork and original joinery."