A Laois couple are set to retire after 43 years serving the community in Abbeyleix.

Liam Dunne first opened Dunne's Hardware shop in 1983, in a small premises across the road from their current building.

He married his wife Fiona in 1990, and the pair began running the shop together in 1991. In 1993, they bought the old Milo cinema from Alex Cleland, and have operated from there ever since.

The couple have announced their plans to retire, and will be closing up shop within the next few months- not before a fantastic sale of closing down bargains.

"Sometimes the shop feels more like a community drop in centre, we have met some phenomenal characters and salt of the earth people, there's definitely a book in it!" Mrs Dunne told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Pictured: Dunnes Hardware and Antiques, Abbeyleix. Photo: Google Maps

Her husband Liam agreed, praising their loyal customers over the years.

"We know 90% of our customers by name, we have been very lucky. We have tried different things over the years, buy we saw that selling the basics always worked," Mr Dunne said.

"Customers who come in and need help or advice for a DIY job, they always knew they would never be ripped off in here. Our business was always more of a service to the community than anything else, I never wanted to be a millionaire. I just wanted to look after the locals, and they all looked after us," he said.

Fiona reflected on their business over the years, and she laughed at Liam's kind yet unique selling methods.

"There were times that were harder on people, you would see poverty sometimes. I remember someone looking for a bucket of paint, and I heard Liam say, 'take the bucket on with you, and bring back what you don't use,'" she laughed.

Mr Dunne has found that in forty years of business, the market has changed completely.

"The internet has caused things to change massively. A lot of products are bought online now, you would never sell hoovers, washing machines or sweeping brushes in person anymore- they are all bought online," he said.

"Instead you are left with the heavy materials, they have couriers now too. Back in the days before couriers, people would ask me if I was going to Dublin, and whether I would pick up something for them," he laughed.

When the economy crashed, Mr Dunne and his longtime employee Martin McEvoy built a second floor in the old cinema. They spent their nights working on the update, with visions of selling flatpack furniture. 

"When the downturn came, Liam and I decided to get into secondhand furniture- people didn't have money," Mrs Dunne explained.

"We started selling antiques, and weird and wonderful things. People have referred to the shop as an emporium. At one stage we had a walking aid for sale next to treadmill, a customer told us we were set for all types of fitness," Fiona laughed.

The business has thrived and long been a staple for furnishers in Laois and nearby counties. The Dunnes' have sold all types of second-hand furniture, and have even shipped a piano off to Italy.

"We morphed into the second hand business very organically, while always keeping the plumbing and hardware materials. We are the old fashioned type of shop, there's a chair by the counter that's always free for a chat with a customer," Mrs Dunne said.

"People come in in dire straights, we help them with their hardware bits. You walk out half an hour later, they're still outside talking and chatting. Our shop has been a meeting place for a lot of people, some people come in for a look around, telling us they're just getting their usual buzz," Mr Dunne said.

"There's always banter at the counter, we get an awful lot of people in that you'd just love. We have made a lot of friends through the business," Mrs Dunne said.

"We have had a lot of customers in the past who are now gone, they were great characters who were brilliant for supporting us. We'd give them a bargain where we could."

The couple thanked their dedicated staff over the years, whom they could not have managed without. In particular, the pair wished to thank their colleague and friend Martin McEvoy.

Pictured: Martin McEvoy

"Martin has been with us for almost 30 years, and he is part and parcel of our shop. He is irreplaceable. He is the type of person who would fix a lamp for an old lady, rather than trying to sell her a new one," they said.

"Someone could come in with a tap in two pieces, Martin would be able to fix it for them. You could sell them a new one, but the customer would always remember that you did your best by them," Mr Dunne said.

"Sonny Tyrell and Jack Dalton were also with us in the past, and they have all been a huge part of the business.

"We are lucky to call so many of our past employees our friends. We are still dealing with our original suppliers from the day we opened, we have a great relationship there. We really have to thank them for how good they have been," Mr Dunne said.

The Dunnes say that they are sad to see their business come to an end, but they are happy to announce their closing sale that will offer plenty of brilliant bargains for Laois locals.

"We are sad to pull the door closed in the next few months- we don't have anyone coming to take over the business after us," Mrs Dunne explained.

"Liam's health took a decline and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and the business we are in is a young man's job. Liam loves playing golf, so now he will have all the time in the world to play as much golf as he wants to!" she said.

"In this business you need to be able for all of the labour, you're dealing with heavy materials that are awkward to lift and deliver. It could be construction materials, it could be a heavy wardrobe."

Pictured: A family photo of the Dunne family sees Liam and Fiona in the front row, with Nessa, Wesley, baby Henry and Bronwyn in the back row.

The couple laughed as Mrs Dunne recalled a hilarious story of an act of kindness from Liam, coming back to bite him.

"I remember an elderly lady saw something in the shop and asked for it to be delivered. As Liam as delivering it, he noticed that her front gate was broken. He came back home, got his drill and went back and repaired the gate. I told him it was such a lovely thing for him to have done," Mrs Dunne recalled.

"However, that afternoon the customer rang us to say what he had delivered didn't arrive. He had dropped the order off at the wrong house, and fixed the wrong gate in the meantime," she laughed.

The Dunne family say that they have been blown away by the well wishes and kind comments from locals.

"We have really been blown away by it all, we have had nothing but good comments and well wishes," Mr Dunne said.

"We may be gone in a few months, but another hardware shop will be coming to Abbeyleix, so people won't be stuck," he said.

Mr Dunne reflected on the differences in the industry nowadays, compared to when he opened his shop.

"Everything is very disposable now, that's why we like the old furniture. We are not chopping down trees for more new furniture, we aren't inflicting anything onto the environment. The craftsmanship on some pieces we have seen is unbelievable. People have also gone on to repurpose and upcycle furniture too, it's great," he said.

The Dunne's are eager to spend their retirement with the people they hold dearest- their family.

"We will be having a massive sale within the next few weeks," Mrs Dunne confirmed.

"We have two children, our son Wesley and our daughter Bronwyn. They would have worked the odd day in the shop growing up, Wesley worked weekends here when he was in school."

Wesley and his fiancée Nessa recently welcomed a gorgeous baby boy.

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"Our grandson Henry is five months old, he's the light of our lives," Mrs Dunne said.

"We adore him, we're so looking forward to our retirement and being a part of his life," Mr Dunne affirmed.

Best wishes to Liam and Fiona Dunne in their retirement!