Maureen Wright of McElhinney's and Arlene Bowles of Flairline Fashions looking after customers at the McElhinney's re-opening sale.

Shoppers return in droves to McElhinney's

The town of Athboy was abuzz this week as shoppers returned for the reopening sale at McElhinney's Fashions on Monday. The landmark store closed following the appointment of a liquidator last month, but reopened on Monday after the owner, Neal Sweeney, was joined by the Flairline fashion group in the management of the store which was founded by his grandmother in 1937. Flairline is the Irish fashion company run by the Barron family, with Richard Alan, Pamela Scott, Ashley Reeves and Lisa Perkins fashion outlets nationwide. There was big demand for McElhinney's summer stock where prices were reduced enormously to clear the store prior to the new season's stock coming in. Shoppers from across the county and country hunted for bargains from 9.30am on Monday, and other shops and businesses in the town also reported a spin-off effect from the extra amount of visitors to the town.