A BELOVED GREENGROCER in Mallow, Co Cork is closing today after 55 years in business. 

Sheehan’s Greengrocers, a family-run business, sold fresh fruit and vegetables in the store since 1962. It has been located on Carmichael Lane in Mallow for the past 20 years.

However, due to building regulations, the Sheehan family have made the decision to finally close down. 

The HSE requested that new floors be installed in the shop, along with work being done on the ceiling, according to Deirdre Sheehan, who currently runs the shop. Her father Liam Sheehan was one of the shop’s founders. 

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103′s Cork Today Show earlier this week, Liam Sheehan said the cost of the work wasn’t feasible.

“We thought about it for a day or two and realised it wouldn’t be feasible,” he said. 

It was then that the family made the decision to shut down. 

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Deirdre Sheehan added: “It was so hard, it was so so hard [to make the decision], but I knew I couldn’t deal with those kinds of inspections constantly.

It was sad but we’re leaving on a high. 

Liam Sheehan told C103 that the shop was known by locals as a place to go for a chat, and that his customer base remained strong throughout the years despite chain supermarkets entering the area. 

One texter to C103 said: “They always had the best new potatoes. So sorry to hear they’re closing, another great loss to the town.”

Another said: “What a sad day, the likes of Sheehan’s we will never see again. Best wishes to them all.” 

Last day

Sheehan’s Greengrocers will close its doors to customers for the final time today. 

The family has a day of celebrations planned to mark what could be, for many, the end of an era. 

“We’re going to have just a lovely day of celebration. It will be a lovely day with family and friends around,” said Deirdre Sheehan. 

“We’ll just celebrate the shop, the business and all our customers. They have been so loyal.” 

Sheehan added that they have been given a large number of gifts from locals and customers over the past few weeks. 

Reflecting back over the years, she said she has an “emotional attachment to the shop”.

“We’ve all worked here, all my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews,” Sheehan said. 

“I can’t imagine Christmas without the shop. It was just a lovely place,” she said. 

The shop meant everything.