YESTERYEARS: Looking back to 1978 and business life in Tipperary

For our Yesteryears archive delve this week we go back all of 44 years to our edition of Saturday, February 11, 1978.
In those days the front page was exclusively commandeered by advertising with news relegated to the inside pages. However, almost half a century later, those same ads throw up an interesting retrospective of the economic life of Tipperary at the time.
Dalton’s Spar Foodstores in Ballylooby and Ballyporeen (Tel Cahir 314 and Ballyporeen 61) was the store “where the cost of living costs less”. Among the list of items for sale were: 20 Carrolls Cigarettes cost 41p, a large sliced pan 171/2p, and a Crunchie (not just on Fridays) cost 10p. And there were Double Green Shield stamps on Tuesday in Ballyporeen and Thursday in Ballylooby. (Don’t ask if you don’t remember).

Yesteryears: Huge haul of Angel Dust recovered in Tipperary

“Have you tried the rest - now try the best” was the slogan of Prendergast of Clonmel with pictures of the four salesmen (Patsy Hickey, Pa Moore, Leo Fitzgerald and Sean McCarthy) to help you choose the best Ford Escort, Ford Cortina, Ford Granada.
The Marlfield Room in the Clonmel Arms Hotel was doing great business at the time with a Steak Platter on offer for £3.50. John Connery was the man to contact for table reservations.
Other Clonmel businesses advertising that week - but no longer in existence - were Ryan’s Decorating Centre at 3 Gladstone Street; Paddy Lambe & Sons, Gents Outfitters at 75 O’Connell Street; and Sheila’s Fashion Shop at the corner of Gladstone Street and O’Connell Street.
In Ardfinnan Wm. Myles & Sons, Victuallers (Phone Ardfinnan 24) had some “Special Offers” that week - Sides of Pork were 60p per lb and Sides of Lamb 65p per lb.
And for Holiday Specials in February 1978, M.J. Bowe Travel, Friar Street, Thurles, could get you to Lourdes for Easter (and back we presume) for £105, and if you fancied heading to Spain on March 27, the cost was £110. And if you had enough of Tipperary the boat to London cost £22.