Clerys facts for kids

{{Infobox company | name = Clerys | logo = | type = Private company | genre = Department Store | foundation = May 1853 | defunct = 12 June 2015 | founder = Michael J. Clery | location = Dublin, Ireland | key_people = Dominic Prendergast
Simon Smith | industry = Retail | products = Quality & luxury goods | services = | revenue = €21.9 million (2011) | num_employees = 350 | parent = Clerys | owner = Gordon Brothers Europe

| homepage =

Clerys was a very famous department store in Dublin, Ireland. It was located on O'Connell Street, which is a main street in the city. The store first opened in 1853. However, the building you see today was built in 1922. This was because the original store was completely destroyed during the 1916 Easter Rising. Clerys was a popular place for shopping and meeting friends for many years.

Clerys also had a few other smaller stores. These included "At Home With Clerys" which sold things for your house. They also had a discount store called Guiney and Co. All of these extra stores closed down in 2012.

Clerys: A Look Back

The story of Clerys began in May 1853. It was first called 'The New or Palatial Mart'. This was on the same spot where Clerys stood later. In 1883, a man named M. J. Clery took over the store. He renamed it after himself.

Who Owned Clerys?

In 1941, a man named Denis Guiney bought Clerys. He paid £250,000 for it. After Denis Guiney passed away in 1967, his wife, Mary Leahy, became the boss. She was the chairperson until she died in 2004. She was 103 years old! In 2012, Clerys faced financial problems. It was put into a special process called "receivership".

The Store's Closure

Sadly, Clerys closed its doors for good on 12 June 2015. The company that ran Clerys stopped trading right away. Many staff members had worked there for a very long time. Some had been there for over 40 years. They were told to pack up and leave with only 30 minutes' notice.

The Clerys business itself was sold for a very small amount of money. The building where Clerys was located was sold for much more. It was bought by a group called Natrium Investment Group. They planned to rebuild the site. They wanted to keep as much of the original design as possible.

The New Clerys Quarter

Today, the old Clerys building is being redeveloped. It is becoming a new place called Clerys Quarter. This new area will have offices, shops, and places for fun. A company called Press Up Entertainment will open a fancy hotel there. The hotel will be called The Clery. It will also have a rooftop bar and a restaurant.

The Famous Clerys Clock

One of the most famous parts of Clerys was its big clock. It had two faces and hung above the main doors on O'Connell Street. This clock became a very popular meeting spot in Dublin. People would often say, "Meet me under Clerys' clock." It was a well-known place for friends to meet. Many romances even started there! In 1990, a new clock was put in place. This was to celebrate 50 years since Denis Guiney took over the store.

Guiney and Co Store

Guiney and Co was a discount store that belonged to Clerys. It was located on Talbot Street. There was another chain of stores called Guineys nearby. Even though they had similar names, they were run by different companies. The Guineys chain was started by Michael, who was Denis Guiney's nephew. Michael used to buy household goods for Clerys before he started his own store in 1971.

Images for kids

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  An artwork from 1891 showing Clerys

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  An artwork from 1853 showing Clerys and Nelson's Pillar

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  The Clerys clock in 2012