A shop owner on Dublin’s Drury Street in the city centre has said it has become “unmanageably busy” and her sales have been impacted. 

Clare Grennan of Irish Design Shop has based herself on the street for 12-years and said she “loves the street” but fears “the vibe has changed a bit” since 2013. 

On Moncrieff, Ms Grennan said things began to change during lockdown. 

“People just wanted to hang out there, maybe get a drink and stay a bit longer,” she said. 

“People started to linger there for the day - which is fair enough; it’s a nice street, it gets the sun until the evening time. 

“So, why not?” 

Ms Grennan has a theory that social media is behind the popularity of the street and said the volume of visitors has become “problematic for us”.  

“Particularly on a weekend when the problem really escalates,” she said. 

“It just gets unmanageably busy; throngs of people on the street that anybody coming down with buggy or anything, it’s just impassable so people start avoiding it. 

“We have noticed our sales, in particular, will tail off after lunchtime on a Saturday.

“By about 4PM, it’s totally chaotic and so we now close at 5PM - as opposed to 6PM on a Saturday. 

“Just because there’s a feeling of unease and our staff have to battle to even get the shutters down.” 

The future?

Ms Grennan added that it has become a “food and drink street” instead of a shopping street. 

While the rent is still “affordable”, she does question if her shop has a future on Drury Street. 

“I don’t know if there comes a point, do you just sort of say, ‘To hell with it, let’s just move’ and find the new street?” she said. 

“When we moved there it was a mix of retail and cafes and bars - it was a perfect mix. 

“Now it just feels like it is just about socialising.”

Main image: Drury Street. Picture by: Brendan Donnelly/Alamy Live News.