Mayo barber shop celebrates 90th anniversary today

A fourth generation family business goes from strength to strength

When Thomas Kelly opened a barber shop in Castlebar, on November 11, 1931, little did he realise he was starting something of a family empire.

Kelly, who learned his trade in his native Dublin city, erected his red and white barber's pole over a premises at the corner of Castle Street which was later turned into a sweet shop by the Stewart family and, in recent time, was restored to a barber shop by his grandson, John.

Thomas Kelly had not spent too long in the corner premises, moving three doors down to the establishment which is still in the possession of the Kelly family and houses the longest established hairdressing salon in the county town.

When Thomas Kelly was diagnosed with lung cancer in the late 1950s, his eldest son, Sean, was summoned from national school at help his ailing father and he took over the business in 1961 following the passing of his father.

Sean worked over 50 years in the business before his retirement in the late 1990s, leaving the shop in the capable hands of his daughter Maire and son John, forming the third generation of Kelly's barbers and hairdressers.

While John expanded his business by acquiring the aforementioned corner shop on Castle Street, Maire also invested in her hairdressing business by purchasing the former Byrne's Shop and transforming it into a new salon.

At this point, a fourth generation of the Kelly family are now very much involved in catering for the hairdressing needs of the men and women of Castlebar and further afield in three shops on Castle Street: Kelly's Barber Shop, Fine Gentleman's Grooming and Kelly's Ladies Hair and Beauty Salon.

John is joined by his son Conrad and daughter Grace while Maire has daughter Amy and son Cian on her team.

Congratulations to the Kelly family on a wonderful business landmark