By Michelle Crean

Today (Friday) marks 100 years of Healy's Shop on New Street - and all these years later it's still a firm favourite for locals.

Angela pictured behind the counter of Healy's many years ago.

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Christy Healy opened the shop on New Street 100-years-ago on St Patrick's Day.

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Christy Healy's shop opened on St Patrick's Day 1923 - at a time when a caller might give a gentle tap late at night for one of his famous baloney sandwiches and a glass of milk. It was a time when sweets were sold from big glass jars, biscuits from large tins, and everything was weighed.

Christy was born and raised at 86 New Street where the Healy shop now stands.

He was a man ahead of his time as he was one of the very few that headed to America in the early 1900s and returned home to Killarney bringing with him the experience he acquired.

He was always one step ahead; not only did he stock the usual groceries like bread, milk, tea, flour which were all sold by weight, he also turned his hand to candy floss and homemade ice cream, the favourite being vanilla finished with a dollop of raspberry sauce!

The sale of tobacco and cigarettes was huge not like today and many young people of Killarney remember buying the single cigarettes.

After Christy's passing in 1978 the shop was run by his daughter Angela and son Johnny. All of his grandchildren have also gotten first-hand experience spending time behind the counter.

Angela is still at the helm. The shop is managed by her daughter Aileen, and staff members Kay Griffin who has given 34 years service, Hannah, Olivia and Emer.

“My father was full of ideas, and I have fond memories of life in the shop," Christy’s daughter Patsy told the Killarney Advertiser.

Patsy remembers delivering milk in the mornings, mostly in the lower New Street area which she did on her rollerskates.

However, she regularly felt the wrath of Sr Philomena of the Presentation Convent when she was late for class.

Christy's eldest daughter Angela, like many of that generation, planned to move to America but she decided that she wanted to stay to continue working with her father at the shop, something she is very glad she did as she loves nothing more than meeting the customers and chatting to them. This year will mark her 70th year serving the people of Killarney.

Both Angela and Johnny raised their families beside the shop. Angela and her husband Jack O’Brien (RIP) raised three daughters, Aileen who manages the shop, Angie who owns Vendricks Restaurant and Niamh.
Johnny retired from the shop in 2012. He and his wife Mary had three children, Christopher, Sandra and Helen.

Patsy and her husband Arthur Hanley had four children, Deirdre, Carolyn, Stephen and Barbara.
The youngest, Frances (RIP), went to New York to Au Pair and with her husband Willie raised her children Peter, Stephen, Jason, Lilian, David, Randall and Deirdre there.

"A huge thank you to the people of Killarney for supporting Healy’s Shop for the last 100 years. A special thanks to all staff past and present, our suppliers, friends and families for making Healy's what is it today. Here’s to another 100 years," Christy's granddaughter Angie added.