‘Buy in bulk with ready cash; sell at low profits but sell quickly’
Denis Guiney, a ‘Merchant Prince’ in the twentieth century business world, was born at Knockawinna, Brosna, Co Kerry on 9 September 1893, the eldest of seven children of farmer Cornelius Guiney and Julia Crowley. He was educated at Knockaclarig National School and in 1908, at age fourteen, he was apprenticed to a drapery store in Killorglin, Co Kerry. In 1911 he worked in Kilrush, and Killarney the following year. He left Kerry to work in Dublin in 1917 and subsequently went to England to gain experience in the English trade.
On 6 May 1921 Guiney opened his own shop at 79 Talbot Street, Dublin but it was destroyed on 5 July 1922 during the Civil War. An enlarged business reopened in 1923, further extended into 80 Talbot Street in 1931.
In 1941 Guiney purchased Clery’s Department Store in O’Connell Street and established a new company, Clery & Co Ltd. An oil painting of Guiney inscribed by ‘R N Brady’ marked the event.[1]
In 1944, while home in Brosna on a birthday visit to his 81-year old mother, Guiney was asked for the secret of his success, and replied, ‘Buy in bulk, with ready cash; sell at low profits, but sell quickly.[2] In 1946 he became chairman of Beleire Ltd, a direct importing and exporting concern with offices in Brussels and Dublin, a pioneering venture in post-war overseas trade.
In the same year, a meeting was held in Clery’s Restaurant to discuss the future of Derrynane House, Caherdaniel, Co Kerry. The non-profit Derrynane Trust was formed, of which Guiney was President, which sought to have The Liberator’s former residence preserved as a national monument.[3] In 1949, Guiney accepted the Title Deeds of Derrynane House from Maurice O’Connell in Clery’s Restaurant on behalf of The Derrynane Trust Ltd.[4]
In 1952, Guiney attended the opening of Castleisland Desmonds’ GAA Club on the Limerick Road, ‘a magnificent asset to the town and district’ and donated the perpetual cup.[5] He also sponsored the Brosna Stake and Guiney Cup for the Brosna Coursing Club.
‘I want to give the poor people value, and the way to do it is bulk-buying’
Back in Dublin, the Guiney & Co annual staff dance was held in Clery’s Ballroom with over five hundred people in attendance.[6] With his second wife Mary, Guiney transformed Clery’s into a multi-million pound enterprise.[7] ‘Under Clery’s Clock’ became a renowned meeting place for young lovers up to the 1960s.[8]
Denis Guiney died at the Mater Private Nursing Home, Dublin on 8 October 1967. A reporter who attended his funeral paid tribute to his business acumen, noting that at age four, Guiney had been regarded as a child prodigy in maths by a school inspector. ‘Denis Guiney came out of a small mountainy farm to be Dublin’s Merchant Prince’:
Dublin said an affectionate farewell to its best loved Kerryman, Denis Guiney, in bright autumn sunshine on Tuesday. President de Valera, many captains of industry, and other notable people were there. So were hundreds who had never met Denis Guiney but who came from old and new Dublin streets to acknowledge his remarkable bond with ordinary people … In and around Dublin, his name was often in the prayers of children in orphanages and similar places, his generosity was proverbial … As the last journey began, autumn leaves were falling gently in O’Connell Street and as Denis Guiney was laid to rest in Glasnevin, it could be said he captured the city and it never looked lovelier nor more peaceful.[9]
Denis Guiney had no children from either of his marriages. Chief mourners at his funeral were his brothers, John Guiney, Corbetstown House, Killucan, Co Westmeath; Timothy Guiney, Carrigeen Castle, Croom, Co Limerick; Cornelius Guiney, Rathkeale, Co Limerick and his sisters, Nora Collins, Carrigeen, Croom, Co Limerick and Sheila Fahey, Cremore House, Cremore Park, Glasnevin, Dublin. His brother Daniel Guiney who had a drapery business, D Guiney & Co, Ladies’ and Gent’s Outfitters at 16 Talbot Street, Dublin predeceased him in 1945.[10]
Mrs Mary Guiney died on 23 August 2004 and was buried with her husband and his first wife in Glasnevin.
The Very Heart of the City The Story of Denis Guiney & Clerys by Peter Costello & Tony Farmar was published in 1986. A copy is held in the archive of Castleisland District Heritage.[11]
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[1] R N Brady was Dublin artist. Dr Richard Noel Brady, son of clothing manufacturer Mathew Brady of Dublin and his wife Margaret, sister of Limerick horse owner and breeder Edward O’Shaughnessy. Brady was born in Dublin in 1901. He was an active member of the IRA in 1917 of which he became Section Commander of the first Engineers’ Dublin Brigade, later taking part in the burning of Customs House. He was apprenticed as a motor mechanic and in 1919 conducted a business, Barron’s Taxis, at Upper Camden Street, Dublin becoming one of the three largest private motor hirers in the city. He sold out of the motor business and became apprenticed to a solicitor but abandoned law to enter his father’s manufacturing business, of which he became Managing Director upon his father’s death from cancer. This event spurred him on to study medicine at UCD, graduating in 1942/3. His other achievements include the study of the violin under Arthur Darley as well as having vocal ability. He submitted a play to the Abbey Theatre. He is on record as saying ‘life is too short to spend in the one profession.’ His interest in art was aroused when he watched artist George Collie RHA at work. Under his tuition Brady made rapid progress and had the distinction of having his first submission in oils – the result of a small bet – accepted by the Royal Irish Academy in 1939. His ambition became then to paint all the leading doctors of Dublin and by 1940, his portraits included Dr R Davitt, Dr T A Bouchier-Hayes and Surgeon Michael P Burke FRCSI. He painted Alderman Peadar Sean Doyle TD, Lord Mayor of Dublin which was presented to the mayor by Dr Myles Keogh at the Mansion House in November 1941. Dr Brady resided at ‘Ard Patrick,’ 94 Rathfarnham Road, Dublin and later 7 Pembroke Street. He was married to Maura and they had Desmond, Gertrude Maura (who married James Edward Burke-Gaffney of Surrey) and Sheila. Dr Richard Noel Brady died at Baggot Street Hospital, Dublin on 26 August 1973. He was laid to rest in Dean’s Grange Cemetery. [2] Kerryman, 8 July 1944. Mrs Julia Guiney, widow of Cornelius Guiney, died at Carrigeen Castle, Croom, Co Limerick 18 January 1946. Among the condolences received by Denis Guiney was one from Portlaoise man, Peter Leo McEvoy, President of the Federation of Irish Manufacturers, editor and publisher of the Irish Industrial Year Book, founder of the McEvoy Advertising Agency, the McEvoy Publishing Co and Fashion Footwear Ltd, Dun Laoghaire (obituary, Nationalist and Leinster Times, 9 July 1960). [3] http://www.odonohoearchive.com/daniel-oconnell-on-the-protestant-church-in-kerry/ [4] Denis Guiney made a personal contribution of £1,050 to the Save Derrynane Fund. In 1958, Derrynane House was up for sale, and renovations of the 16-roomed house completed at that time included the demolition of twelve rooms at the back of the building and the restoration and renovation of the chapel. Tralee-born M J O’Connor, founder of the Irish Institute of Secretaries, explained that the reason for the decision to sell was because all funds had been spent restoring the house and chapel. ‘The difficulty facing the Trust is that the only income, namely that received from visitors during the summer season, is not sufficient to pay the overheads. The Council is prepared to hand Derrynane over to a religious Order’(Kerryman, 11 January 1958). In 1963, the government decided to assume responsibility for Derrynane and its 9.5 acres of grounds. Derrynane was officially opened to the public as a museum by President Eamon de Valera in August 1967 and included relatives of the O’Connell family. In a speech, the president said ‘When O’Connell came to lead the people they had suffered two centuries of spoliation and oppression … O’Connell had to instil confidence in the Irish people and let them see that those of the ascendancy class were not superior to them’ (Kerryman, 26 August 1967). [5] See report in Kerryman, 10 May 1952. [6] Kerryman, 6 February 1954. [7] Denis Guiney was married first to Nora Gilmore of Lakeview, Moylough, Co Galway on 13 June 1921. Nora died at her home, ‘Auburn,’ 118 Howth Road, Dublin on 10 March 1938 aged 38. His second marriage on 19 October 1938 was to Mary Leahy, Creeves, Askeaton, Co Limerick. [8] ‘Under Clery’s Clock' has been the subject of a number of paintings by Dublin-based artist Chris McMorrow, and can be viewed on his website, www.chrismcmorrow.net. [9] Funeral report by Lochlinn MacGlynn in Dublin, Kerryman, 14 October 1967. [10] ‘The death has taken place of Mr Daniel Guiney, brother of the well-known Dublin draper, Mr Denis Guiney. A native of Brosna, Co Kerry, he was aged 44, and had been engaged in the drapery business in Dublin since 1921. Until 1929, he was associated with Mr Denis Guiney in the conduct of his drapery business at 79 Talbot Street but in that year opened his own drapery premises at 16 Talbot Street (Kerry Champion, 26 May 1945). A daughter, Julia, was born to Mr and Mrs Dan Guiney at Stella Maris Nursing Home, Earlsfort Terrace, on 15 May 1932. A second daughter, Nora Mary was born at the same place on 13 August 1933. [11] IE CDH 227.
