Castlepollard, and hurling, at root of family firm's success

Liam Davitt, father of Senator Aidan and Cllr Aoife, remembers when his brother Pat began in business “in a little shop in Castlepollard, next to Kitty Fox”.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner on Friday at an event to mark 45 years of Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt and Davitt, Liam recalled that Pat asked him if he was interested in joining him in business. He declined the offer but claimed, with a smile, some of the credit for the success of Davitt auctioneers.

“I do often tell him that it wasn’t Pat’s name that made it, because I won two senior hurling championships with Castlepollard, in ’65 and ’66, and I said, I’m famous here in Castlepollard, they don’t know you at all. But if you keep telling them that you’re the brother of Liam Davitt, I says, you’ll go a long way! So that’s where Pat started, but yes, fair play to him.”

He also recalled that large crowds attended the monthly furniture auctions Pat used to hold in Castlepollard, and congratulated him and his colleagues on the success of Davitt and Davitt.

Asked for his thoughts on Westmeath hurling and football, Liam, who was a psychiatric nurse at St Loman’s, praised the coming generations, and was optimistic about the future.

Cousins have say on family business

Three of the youngest members of the Davitt family were among those who gathered at the Mullingar offices of Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt and Davitt last Friday, and they were keen to have their say.

The girls are cousins, Cliodhna, Mary Kate and Ella Davitt, and they agreed Ella would speak to the Westmeath Examiner on their behalf (which she did without the aid of notes): “Today we have gathered here for the 45th anniversary of Davitt and Davitt. It has been thriving for 45 years and today we get to come here and celebrate that. I think Davitt and Davitt has been a successful company. It has thrived so far from what it started out as – originally it was a very small company and now it’s come a long way… so I’d just like to say those few words.”

Ella, Cliodhna and Mary Kate are pupils at Loughegar National School.