Thursday Doors – Danny Hughes, Blackrock

I’ve been a bit hit and miss with my posts lately and with getting out of the house to capture some new Thursday Doors but I still have a few beauties from my last trip to Blackrock that I’d like to share with you.

Danny Hughes & Son on Main Street in Blackrock is where my daughter bought her electric guitar. The shop is home to Beat It Music and sells vintage, second-hand and new musical instruments and equipment. It even has a music school on the first floor. In the past, it was a seaside shop, selling buckets and spades, tourist souvenirs, religious items and ice cream. My grandparents had a similar shop a few doors up, so it would have been sacrilege to buy an ice cream from him but I do remember buying a black plaited wig that I even wore to bed for a while, I loved it that much.

Danny Hughes was born in Armagh, Northern Ireland, in 1920, the eldest of seven children. His parents ran a fruit and veg shop but when his father died, Danny had to start work in his early teens to help support his younger siblings. When the family moved to another town, Danny followed in his father’s footsteps as a trader. He used to cross over the Cooley mountains to Dundalk with his horse and cart, selling his wares along the way. When the weather was too bad to return home, he slept alongside his horse in a stable in the town.

In time, the family moved close to Blackrock, where Danny opened his shop in 1949. He died in December 2014, at the ripe old age of 103, running the business with his son Conor up until a few years before he passed away. He was a man of many talents and was an accomplished musician, playing the accordion and fiddle. Along with being involved with showbands and céilí bands over the years he wrote a number of books and was well known as a story teller.

As you can see from the first image, the premises has two doors, one for the music store and the other leading to a treasure trove for lovers of anything vintage. The shop is as interesting on the outside as it is on the inside, with a fun piece of sculpture to attract your attention as you pass by. It’s always well worth crossing the street to see what’s on display in the window and I wasn’t disappointed this time, either.

Danny’s son Conor is very much like his father. His band, The Willin’ Fools, are fun loving and, judging by the video on their website, very entertaining. Conor’s charity, Crosscause, has done amazing work, from sending trucks of humanitarian aid to refugees in Calais in France to supporting orphanages in Eastern Europe. Not too far up the street from his father’s store, Conor has opened a shop to support Crosscause and I love spending time in there whenever I’m in Blackrock. Note the elephant’s head sculpture above the doorway.

At present, Crosscause is focusing on five projects in Ghana, including the setting up of an eye surgery clinic. Conor and his group of volunteers are always coming up with interesting ways to raise money for the charity and December 26th 2017 was no exception. He sat on top of a tower of pianos on the beach in Blackrock for his annual Stephen’s Day fundraiser.

Source 1: Visit Blackrock Village

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog. If you would like to explore a worldwide selection of Thursday Doors, head on over to Norm’s blog and click the blue ‘frog’ at the bottom of his post.

Source 1: Visit Blackrock Village