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VERONICA RYAN Henry Street “12 years ago we’d hav
e people on prams sellin’ everything. Apples oranges, pears, on the prams. And it brought culture to Dublin. Everyone would be takin’ pictures of the prams, they just thought it was amazing that people could wheel prams into town and sell off them. That was the way it was but it’s died out now. They want it to be an Eastern European city, so they want to make it beautiful and there’s just no room for it in this place anymore. All the big buildings, all the big shops that are after comin’ in. That’s it, you just have to make way. We’re only little people, we’re only goldfishes in a big shark bowl. We don’t have a say in it, we’d never be able to fight them. We’re backed into a corner. It’s very very hard, even for the shops and ourselves. Everyone is shopping online. They say 300,000 people pass through this town every day. Well I’d love to see even 50 of those 300,000 buy off me. I’d be one happy, lucky bitch if they did! [This flower stall] was me husband’s auntie’s, and she gave it to me daughter. It is a family business. That’s the way it is. I have great memories, you’d never buy them again. We had a stall here when we were kids. Used to have to stay out all night to get your pitch out on Henry Street for the first of December. We used to sell Cheeky Charlies, and Dirty Harrys, they were the thing. Cheeky Charlies were a little monkey, and Dirty Harry was a man doll that you put water in, and when you poured the water in, his trousers used to drop and he’d go to the toilet. We’d sell balloons, balls and tinsel, because at that time, there were no pound shops. You’d get all your decorations on Henry Street. That’s where you came for all your stuff, you’d get your chains, tinsel, Christmas trees, wrapping paper, gift cards, everything. Everybody helped one another and looked after one another. If you finished, then someone else would help ya, and that would go along the street. It was selfless days. Money didn’t matter. You needed it to survive but when you had it you didn’t think about it. And if you didn’t you just went out to get more.” ● They say 300,000 people pass through this town every day. Well I’d love to see even 50 of those 300,000 buy off me. 50