Continuing with my small businesses project, highlighting the individual character with its threatened survival from the neighbouring supermarkets, Tony the butcher (Anthony Byrne ) finally retires after 62 yrs at the age of 80. The butchers has been in the family for 80yrs and now Tony is finally hanging up those saws. Generally the younger members of the family no longer wish to succeed the family business who find it less appealing. The family owned a nearby abattoir before they transferred the meat to their newly opened butcher shop in Rathgar, Dublin. Upon the death of his father in 1994 Tony ran the business on his own, witnessing endless neighbouring businesses opening and closing. The Byrnes also kept sheep in a nearby field which was eventually abandoned due new regulations. I first shot some photography at Tony’s back in 2008 and now recently, just before his retirement. We’ll miss his ‘hairp of meat’ . Look out for part 2 with images shot in Tony’s last month of butchery.
kelvinhudson 