Mary Guiney facts for kids

Mary Guiney (born March 2, 1901 – died August 23, 2004) was a very successful Irish businesswoman. She was famous for leading a big department store called Clerys & Co for many years. She even lived to be over 100 years old!

Her Early Life and School Days

Mary Leahy was born on March 2, 1901. Her family lived on a farm in Creeves, near Shanagolden, County Limerick. When she was young, people called her May. She had several brothers and sisters.

Mary went to school at Dominican College in Dublin. After finishing school, she started working. Her first job was at a shop called Guineys & Co. on Talbot Street. This shop was owned by Denis Guiney.

Building a Business Empire

Mary married Denis Guiney on October 19, 1938, in Dublin. Mary became a partner in their business. Together, they made their shop on Talbot Street very successful.

Their success allowed them to buy Clerys & Company in 1941. Clerys is a famous department store on O'Connell Street. At the time, Clerys was having financial problems.

Taking Over Clerys

When they bought Clerys, Mary and Denis started a new company. This was during World War II, a difficult time. But Mary was a very smart businesswoman. Clerys' sales grew by a huge amount, 1,000%!

The Guineys invested a lot in Clerys. They added two restaurants, a ballroom, and three bars. The store also had 42 sales counters across four floors.

Helping the Economy

Many people believe Clerys helped many small Irish suppliers. It kept them in business during the war and after. This had a good effect on the Irish economy. By 1967, Clerys had over 1,000 employees. Thousands of customers from all over Ireland visited the store.

Clerys became well-known for its big sales twice a year. The first sale in 1941 caused traffic jams on O'Connell Street. In just one week, the store made £100,000!

Charity Work

Mary Guiney was a very religious person. Because of this, Clerys hosted many charity events. They especially helped older or lonely people in Dublin. Starting in 1954, Clerys offered afternoon tea and entertainment for 100 older people.

Leading the Company

Denis Guiney passed away in 1967. After his death, Mary took full control of their business. She owned 52% of the shares and remained the head of the board. Denis Guiney's nephew, Arthur Walls, managed the daily operations of the stores.

In May 1974, Mary nearly died. Her shop, Guineys on Talbot Street, was caught in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

Later Years and Legacy

As time went on, Mary gave management and director roles to relatives. However, she always kept control of the business. She often refused offers to sell the company or its assets.

For example, she turned down a takeover offer in 1987. She also stopped a buyout attempt in 1999. Mary once said, "Why would I want to sell the best business and building in Ireland?"

Her Dedication

Mary Guiney visited the shop and attended board meetings until she was 99 years old. She signed the company's yearly financial reports until 2004, when she was 103. This might have made her the oldest company director in Ireland or the United Kingdom!

Some people thought Mary didn't take enough advantage of new opportunities. This was during Ireland's economic boom in the late 1990s. They believed her resistance to change might have hurt the store. It made it harder to attract new or younger customers.

Mary Guiney passed away on August 23, 2004, at Beaumont Hospital. She was buried next to her husband in Glasnevin Cemetery.