Over 1,000 people sign petition to keep music store McCullough Pigott open

Kenneth Fox

Updated at 14:46

Almost 1,200 people have signed an online petition to try to stop a famous music shop in Dublin from shutting its doors.

Tens of thousands of music students have bought their instruments and sheet music from McCullough Pigott for 200 years.

It was acquired in 1993 by a publisher that now wants to focus the business online. But music teacher Aideen Cooney from Lucan says it would not be the same.

Ms Cooney said you need to be able to go into the store and try out the instrument as ordering online is just not the same experience.

A Facebook post from the store said they will be closing down over the coming weeks as its parent companies looks to restructure its business.

In the post they said: "It is with deep regret that we inform you, on Monday, February, 20th Musicroom/Hal Leonard Europe announced their plans to restructure their Musicroom consumer business in the UK and Ireland.

"This involves the closure of seven Musicroom retail stores, including Musicroom @ McCullough Pigott Dublin.

"Please bear with us, and we will post further updates when available. But for now, it is business as usual.  We would like to thank all of our loyal customers for your business, and we look forward to welcoming you over the coming weeks.

McCullough Pigott has been part of Dublin's music scene since 1823. Known as one of the principal music stores in the city, Pigott's dealt with brass and woodwind instruments as well as pianos.

Denis McCullough was a trained luthier and piano tuner from Belfast. Following a fire in his Dublin music store in the 1960s, the two companies merged and became McCullough Pigott.

McCullough Pigott was taken over in the early 1990s by Joe Lynch and Music in Print who kept the store's tradition as the principal brass and woodwind dealers as well as stocking the most comprehensive sheet music selection in the country.