Tributes paid to Rellis Newsagents in Ballybricken, Co. Waterford following closure

Local Waterford retailer served the ‘Top of the Town’ for five decades

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The Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association has paid tribute to community-focused retailer, Rellis Newsagents in Waterford, following the store’s recent closure.

In its latest newsletter, the CSNA stated: “Things will not be the same on the Hill of Ballybricken following the closure of CSNA member Rellis Newsagents in Waterford on Friday afternoon last after 50 years of service.

“While many businesses have come and gone during the Rellis’s five decades serving the ‘Top of the Town’, the layout of Dick and Maureen’s shop remained as reliable as their customers.

“With the collector’s item RTE Guide and Evening Herald signage displayed in the front window, and the distinctive Irish Independent sign overhead – itself now a rare sight nationally – the shop’s display and shelving rarely, if ever changed. Everything had its place and everyone familiar with Rellis’s over the years always knew where everything was. In an era of increasingly generic shopfloors, this was a store which retained its character, pleasantly remaining still through years of fundamental social and economic change.”

In an interview with WLR’s ‘Deise Today’, Dick admitted that he will miss his customers and the many chats they enjoyed, which covered a wide range of topics.

“Whether it was hurling, golf, rugby, politics, weather… it’s time. When you have a business to run it takes a lot of hours and then there’s family interests and other things like that (to take into account)… We had wonderful staff down through the years who have gone their own ways now and are getting on with life; I’ve had many loyal and devoted staff and enjoyed being of service and being in contact with them down through the years.”

Be it for comics, tobacco, birthday cards or the FA Cup Final programme, which well-known local soccer writer Paul Elliott used to buy from Dick the Monday after the Wembley showpiece, Rellis’s has a special place in many city hearts.

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