Donough becomes the fifth generation of his family to run shop in East Cork 

He may be the fifth generation of his family to run a shop in East Cork, but Donough O’Flynn admits he wasn’t the most conscientious of workers in his younger days.

In fact, his dad, Denis, sacked him for his time-keeping!

“At 16, I was kicked out of the shop!” says Donough. “Dad kicked me out. He was the boss.

“I’d arrive in to work ten minutes late and leave two minutes early. But it was the best thing dad ever did. He said my late arrival to work and leaving early was a definite no-no! I was fired and told to find another job.”

After a career path that took him away from retail, Donough has now returned to take over the family business, Mace Ladysbridge, and overseen an extensive renovation.

His family’s roots there go back a long way. Patrick O’Flynn started the dynasty when he opened the shop in the town in 1894; ever since, the O’Flynn men have been the familiar helpful shopkeepers and postmasters there.

Donough’s career took a circuitous route before he ended up back in the family shop last year. He worked at Castlemartyr Resort and studied in Shannon College of Hotel Management.

“It was a great graduate programme offering specialised programmes with paid work placements,” he says. “I learned unique skills that would serve me well in any job.”

He spread his wings too.

“I spent a year in Belgium, and a year in New York at the famous Fitzpatrick Hotel in Manhattan. I loved the buzz of a busy hotel and I loved interacting with the guests and with the staff.”

He learned people skills.

“The customer is always right,” says Donough.

And if not?

“Then you kill them with kindness,” replies Donough, 33. “The aim is for the customer to be happy. So you do your best to make them happy!”

In 2019, the question of succession for the family’s shop in East Cork came up.

“The question was asked to all of us,” says Donough. “Me, and my two sisters, Ciara and Éadaoin.”

It was something to ponder upon.

“Then covid happened,” Donough says. “I was working in Castlemartyr Resort. There were no customers there. I lost the fire in my belly.

“I left and began working as a shop manager in Mace in Glanmire village for the bones of a year.”

His eyes were opened.

“I realised that I really enjoyed the business,” says Donough. “I learned a lot. I learned there is much more to retail than serving customers from behind the counter and passing the time of day with them. Of course that is very important too.

“Ordering produce, stock-taking, organising shop shelves to display goods to the best of their advantage, all those things matter when you are running a shop. The list of orders is always changing according to demand and popularity.”

In 2021, after further family discussion, it was decided that Denis would continue in the shop for another three or four years.

Donough’s time would come.

“It would be 2025 or 2026 when I was to take over,” says Donough.

In the meantime, the shop was having a facelift. Last summer, extensive renovations began.

“It was not a one-man job,” says Donough. “I was working in the Maryborough Hotel at the time, and I came back home when the renovations started.”

He mucked in.

“I ran the shop and dad ran the construction project.”

How did Donough feel being back on home ground?

“I felt very much at home,” he says. “It was the feeling of working for yourself. Even though I’d be tired after a day’s work, I always went home with a smile on my face.”

And he had learned the lessons from his teenage past!

“I came into the shop for my shift 15 minutes early and I left it an hour later after my shift was finished!”

He is in good company at work.

“My partner Vanessa is an important part of the shop, and she is very involved in the day-to-day business,” says Donough.

Some days, their young daughter, Mila, joins her parents in the shop. Like them, she always greets customers with a big smile and a big hello.

Donough is one of a number of retailers countrywide who completed a programme organised by DCU and BWG Foods, to develop the next generation of local convenience retailers.

“There were 27 of us on the course, 12 days over a year in DCU,” he says.

“We learned about leadership, retail management, marketing technology transformation, customer experience as well as one-to-one mentoring with BWG leaders.”

The enthusiastic group got to spread their wings.

“We travelled to Amsterdam and Utrecht to meet customers and look and learn about how stores were run in these countries,” says Donough.

“We went behind the scenes and visited warehouses where products were stored ready for delivery.”

The whole experience was a very positive one. “The takeaway was not just the content of the course,” says Donough. “But the conversations I had with people at break-time and lunch-time, who were in a similar position to me.

“DCU recognised the value of the aspect of social interaction, and it encouraged feedback as well as organising guest speakers who were experienced in retail. The discussions and debates we had were really great. The number one asset to have running a shop is patience.”

Donough met like-minded people on the course who had also been down the route of shop renovation.

“They had reservations and frustration in the beginning like us,” says Donough.

He learned a lot.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

He learned much more.

“Communication with the family had a smooth, positive impact on the running of the renovation operation,” says Donough. “Instead of butting heads sometimes, we were all on the same page.

“At 40, dad was a very successful businessman. He must have been doing something right. I decided to tap into his valuable knowledge about running a successful business.”

Donough is happy at how his career and life have panned out.

“I am blessed here,” he says looking around at his bright shop. “The family-friendly atmosphere is fabulous. I have a committed staff and when we were under pressure during the renovations, they stayed late. The young people we hired are brilliant.”

“The biggest challenge is trying to keep costs down,” adds Donough.

“The cost of overheads has spiked so much in recent times. Things like chocolate went up in price due to the price of cocoa going up.

“We have 17 staff that I help organise. In recent times, the minimum wage has increased.”

Old habits die hard.

“Dad opens up at 7am every day,” says Donough, who comes in a bit later.

“I start at 8am. Orders take up most of my Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am always aware of how the shop looks, that it is clean in all departments, including the storeroom and that all discount offers are up-front in plain sight for the customers to see.”

Has dad taken a step back, despite his early mornings?

“Yes. Dad is more in the background now. His main job is administration.”

Are Denis O’Flynn’s shoes big ones to fill?

“They certainly are,” Donough says. “I can always call on him and on the members of my own family to help out if needs be.”

He has learned from the best.