Nally family pay tribute as Lucy retires
The Nally family and the many customers who got to know Lucy Harris during her 46 years working at the shop that is an institution on Dominick Street paid warm tributes to her last week.
Lucy has retired from duty at Rochforts Superstore, and plans to spend more time in her garden and kitchen at home in Ballinalack, and enjoying her retirement with friends and family.
Lucy’s employment with the Nallys began in 1975, Tommy Nally said on Friday, when there was a presentation to say goodbye and thank you to her.
“John [Lucy’s uncle] came in to me to see if I would give her a job, and I said I’m only after being down at the labour exchange, with Noel O’Connor at the time, and I said, where were you till now?! I’m after getting two girls.
“So he went to go out and I stopped and said John, c’mere for a minute, I’ll give her a bit of part-time, and that’s how it started.
“That’s nearly 46 years ago, and she’s here since, through the good times and the bad. She went through it all.”
Sheila Nally said that Lucy “was here when our children were small and she’s here since – Lucy would stand in for baby sitting, and for everything, you could depend on her a million times, and honest to God almighty, I’m going to miss her big time”.
“She was like a member of the family. Staff came and went and Lucy was still here. She was so reliable, early in the morning and late at night, Lucy Harris would stand in.”
Sheila said that when her children were small, Lucy was the mainstay in the shop: “She was one of us really, she nearly reared the kids with us, in the good times and the bad times.”
Lucy said the Nally family had treated her very well and they were more than just employers to her. She didn’t have standout recollections of her time behind the counter, but has fond memories of the many customers she came to know. “Everybody was different, they had their own problems, they’d talk to you about different things, but it went no further. I had a great time but it’s time to move on now.”