Dublin’s ‘Cashmere King’ finds a new home

ONE of Dublin’s oldest stores, Monaghan’s Cashmere, has relocated to 21 South Anne Street.

It marks a new era for the business which has become part of the fabric of Dublin life since it opened in 1960.

Monaghan’s Cashmere has been loved by generations of customers from across Ireland and internationally who have been coming through its doors for over half a century.

Owned and run by ‘Ireland’s Cashmere King’, Tom Monaghan, who is now in his 90s, it stands proud as one of the country’s longest serving retailers.

This is the third location for Monaghan’s Cashmere over its 58 years in business.

Tom, who is always elegantly dressed with a coloured silk hankerchief in his top pocket, is an iconic figure in Dublin.

With his wife Teresa he opened their first store in Dublin’s Grafton Street Arcade in 1960, selling an extensive range of high quality cashmere and lambs-wool sweaters. They soon developed a successful business with the largest selection of Scottish cashmere available in Ireland and became hugely popular with golfers and horse racing enthusiasts who wanted long-lasting, premium classic clothing.

They then moved to Dublin’s Royal Hibernian Way off Dawson Street in 1986. The store has welcomed many well-known personalities from the worlds of sport, music and film including actors Dana Winter and Maureen O’Hara, Maureen Potter and the legendary Ronnie Drew who all became great patrons. 

Tom is hoping that Monaghan’s new location on South Anne Street will bring a new generation of customers through its doors. Though there has been massive change in the retail industry over the last five decades, Tom Monaghan’s routine has remained the same – after a coffee in Bewleys on Grafton Street he arrives each morning at the shop at 9am and greets each customer. 

“This new store has given me a new lease of life and I am thrilled to be still trading in my beloved Dublin close to Grafton Street,” Tom said. “The retail sector is currently undergoing the biggest changes in its history so we are very proud that Monaghan’s Cashmere continues to be successful today.

“Online shopping has obviously had a massive impact and I’m glad to report that this is nothing new to us – we’ve always had customers buying from us by phone but we called it mail order.

“We have been sending packages to the US, Canada, Australia, UK and around Europe to customers who bought initially in our shop and then ordered by phone for many years.

“We now have an online store and a social media platform which my daughter runs and while I know this is the future of retail we will never lose sight of the personal connection and the touch and feel of beautiful fabrics – you don’t get this on a screen.

“I believe customer loyalty and relationships has been the secret of our success,” he added.