Keith picks up a real bargain in Frawley’s

16th April 2008

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/keith-picks-up-a-real-bargain-in-frawleyrsquos-1349299.html

BOYZONE star Keith Duffy is breeding new life into Dublin institution "Frawleys" by joining forces with his dad to re-open the store.
The Evening Herald can reveal how it’s going to be a family affair for the Dublin star as he joins his father Sean to launch a shop for clothes in larger sizes on the site of Liberties institution.

There was huge sadness among the tight-knit southside community after the familyowned store, which sold everything from lace curtains to communion dresses, finished trading last June after 115 years.

Described as the end of an era when it shut up shop last summer, there were some suggestions that the multi-million euro site would be used to build apartments.

CONNECTIONS

Yet thanks to Keith’s immediate family connections in the famous shop, the store has now been re-opened under a new name ‘Plus and Minus’ and is also gearing itself towards a slightly bigger market.

“My dad worked in Frawley’s for more than 30 years as the buyer in the menswear department and about ten years ago, he starting doing clothes for bigger sizes, starting from XL and going all the way up and he found there was a huge market for it,” Keith explained.

“He’s basically been working since he was 12 and when the news of Frawley’s closure first came out, he decided he wasn’t ready to just retire so he decided to take over the shop with two friends, including a woman named Geraldine – who was the buyer for the womenswear – so they all have years of experience between them. I’m one of the directors in the company and it’s been going really well.”

And Keith’s dad decided to stick with the familiar when it came to the new store’s merchandising as the shop’s now specialising in plus size clothes for men and women, alongside a separate section for babies.

“They’re basically cool clothes for bigger people. My dad had a loyal client base that used to come into Frawley’s saying to him ‘where are we going to get our clothes once it closes?’ A lot of the stuff are clothes that you can’t buy in your average high street store as it would be things like extra large jackets and trousers with waists that go up to 60 inches,” he continued.

QUEUES

The singer, who’ll join his fellow bandmates for the start of Boyzone’s reunion tour in London on May 30, has admitted he was amazed at the reaction to the reopening from locals.

“We opened the shop last Friday and there was a queue a mile long out the door with all the people waiting to get in, it was unbelievable,” he added.

Now he’s busy planning to give the store an A-list re-opening on Thursday May 1. He’s pulling in all his contacts from the showbiz world to ensure there’s a healthy helping of celebs at the launch party, including Boyzone and a host of his You’re A Star pals.

He has also revealed how a Dublin radio station will be broadcasting live from the Thomas Street store on the day.