First Department store in Dublin?

Question

My g.g grandfather William lawrence had a suite of stores on upper Sackville st [grafton st] called 'Lawrence's Great Bazaar' from 1865.

It was destroyed in 1916 when the premises were looted and burnt down during the Easter Rising.

Does anyone know if this was the first Department type store in Dublin? or was it Clerys?

http://www.lawrencecollection.com/Images/Shop%20FrontH2.jpg

and can anyone tell me where I can find out more information about it? libraries?archives?

[i've never been to Ireland]

Answer 1

Brown Thomas opened in 1849.

The Palatial Mart on the site of modern day Clery's opened in 1853.

The Dublin City Archives are in Pearse St. library. They have all sorts of stuff on Dublin.

Sackville Street is O'Connell Street, not Grafton Street.

Answer 2

Sackville st. was originally O'Connell st. not grafton st. Google Sackville st.

Answer 3

Try the National Library, they have hundreds of newspapers, there should be something there.

Answer 4

Wow that's Brilliant my people on my fathers side go all the way back to the Danes.We were even were known as the Dublin Danes  My Grandmothers name was Daniels an Irish Danish name for the Dan. My Father had a grand Aunt who owned the buildings on both sides of Phibsborough Ave for about a mile

Would be worth a fantastic fortune today.But to the point I have heard Lawrence's Great Bazaar mentioned by an old great aunt of mine where it seems it was a place to go on a wet Sunday to see boys etc. Clerys has the reputation of being Dublin's first dept store, But you know I would not be surprised if Lawrence's in fact was, It would be a great story. And  I would love to hear the outcome, I will also look further into it.