Look for Local – Shop lighting, home decor and D.I.Y at Dalys Hardware

Look for Local – Shop lighting, home decor and D.I.Y at Dalys Hardware

By I Love Limerick correspondent Rachel Petticrew

Joe Daly and Cllr Daniel Butler, Mayor of Limerick City and County inside Daly’s Hardware. Picture: Farhan Saaed/ilovelimerick.

A new campaign run by I Love Limerick is asking Limerick consumers to look for local when shopping for products, services and experiences.

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Daly’s Hardware is a cross-generational, city-centre store that first opened in 1954. 

Daly’s, which specialises in lighting, home decor and D.I.Y products, has been a staple of William Street since they first opened over sixty years ago. 

Third-generation owner Ali Daly told I Love Limerick of her family history, saying, “My great grandfather was a managing director in Newson’s, which was directly across the road from here. My grandfather Joe was working there when he decided to open this place, directly across the road from his father.”

Whilst Dalys Hardware is synonymous with hardware and D.I.Y, the building was once home to a very different service. 

“This building was a bacon curing factory before we took over, and originally it was a bakery. When my grandfather started this business, there were still ovens here from the 1800s. To this day, the basement contains old brick tunnels which run out into the middle of William St. There is a lot of history here,” said Ali. 

Since opening in 1954, Daly’s has passed through three generations. Founder Joe Daly passed the store to his son Tony, who in recent years has handed the reigns to daughter Ali. 

Daly’s is known for its range of high-quality lighting, displayed centre stage in the shop window. In addition to the store’s long-running and extensive hardware business, the store is also a paint and wallpaper supplier, stocking many superior brands.

Ali believes that shopping locally gives customers a better quality experience than buying online. 

“Since Brexit happened in January, customers often come in and tell us they are waiting three months for an online purchase to arrive. If you come into us, you will have the product the next day, or you might even leave with it,” Ali explained.

“You also have a great returns policy. If something goes wrong, you can still come into Daly’s a year later, we will be there to fix the problem. You’re not going to get that satisfaction online. It just makes sense to buy from someone reliable who will still be in business tomorrow.”

The staff at Daly’s feel the William Street store is one of a kind, as customers often come in just for a chat.