Warm support as Laois family locksmiths move shop after 43 years

Laois GAA commentator, locksmith and cobbler Jack Nolan has taken a big step for his family business, locking up his shop to open a new and bigger premises.

It is an incredible 43 years since the Portlaoise man and his wife Bernadette started their shoe repair business.

He looks back on how it all began, speaking to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"We started on Holy Thursday, 1982, just in shoe repairs. Two years later we started cutting keys, then a while later doing locks.

"It was a one man show for many years. All three of my sons came to work with me, my daughter too, they all worked here since they were knee-high. Darragh left after qualifying as a teacher. He's on honeymoon in Las Vegas, he teaches in Ballyroan and loves it. Ciara is a secondary school teacher in Mountrath. Conor is working with me for 14 years now and the youngest Oisín for eight years.

"My wife Bernadette did the shoe repairs. She had worked in Tretorn, they made tennis balls but golf shoes and she became an expert in fixing shoes and high end handbags," Jack said.

Shoe repairs are not as big a part of the business any more. With the shop move a fortnight ago, nearly 100 pairs of uncollected repaired shoes are now on their last chance of being claimed, before the Nolans give them to local charity shops.

Shelves of uncollected repaired shoes in Nolan's shop.

"People still don't come back to collect them. We will have to consider a deposit or payment in advance. It's ridiculous, good shoes worth sometimes €300 a pair. Men in particular don't call back. A lot of man hours goes into repairs.

"We used to dye shoes for weddings and cover them with material, that died out completely as shoes come in every colour now.

"We still repair good men's leather shoes, soles and heels. We still do key cutting now but it has changed. People are very security conscious.

"The big thing was car keys. We cut them here until 1995, then came microchips and transponders. We have diagnostics on each van now worth €100,000. We bought two new machines for €21,000 and €24,000, to keep up with modern technology. We have four vans now serving Laois, Westmeath, Offaly, Carlow and Kilkenny, running 24/7. We do locksmith emergency services on Sundays. It has changed an awful lot."

They moved out of their Railway Street premises because they were out of space, for the business, for customers and for parking. The Lyster Lane shop had its official opening on Friday evening, July 25.

Jack Nolan and sons receiving a national House & Home award for Security, Safety, Locksmith of the Year from architect Hugh Wallace.

"I can't believe how busy it's been, the extra footfall and extra business. The good will and the good wishes, it's just amazing," he said.

He might just plan to retire after 43 years of work.

"I though cancer was retiring me three years ago but I got over that. I have two good lads here, and three more working for me. It might be time to shuffle to the side now," he said.

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Jack is well known as a GAA commentator, also giving that a break during cancer treatment and now back on Midlands radio.

"It's great, I love it. The Laois ladies are coming up now. On Sunday week we have them in the intermediate football and then the camogie team are in the All Ireland junior final. The women are flying the flag for us," he said.