On behalf of Drogheda & District Chamber, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our most esteemed members, Mr. Jim Corcoran. As the CEO, and on behalf of the whole Chamber team, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to Jim's family and friends during this difficult time.
The death of Jim Corcoran at the weekend brought the curtain down on another chapter in the history of the town, indeed the rich tapestry of Dyer Street, where the Corcoran family were synonymous with business and trade for so many years.
Jim closed up his premises on the street in 2019 and said goodbye to a lifetime of memories and customers, many of whom were friends for 50 or 60 years.
When Jim's father, Bernard, opened up for business in 1939, customers making their way to purchase grain and other farming essentials would be met with a different Dyer Street to the one today. People negotiated their way past herds of cattle being brought to the abattoir across by the Haymarket, where the local boys played football unhampered by any traffic.
Far from being a thriving, busy commercial area, Dyer St was almost considered the countryside on the edge of the town. Bernard set up as a supplier of seed and grain to farmers and wholesale producers. This remained the main earner for Corcoran’s until the early eighties, when the formation of the co-ops and sweeping changes in farming forced many such businesses to close down, but Jim was able to successfully concentrate on the gardening products and pet goods, which had always been an integral side to the business.
Bernard expanded to next door in the late forties when he bought a pub from ‘Rasher’ Campbell. They kept the pub in the family until the early 90s when Jim decided to step away from it. He had fond memories of all his locals and the characters that came in there. It was also a great source of information - 'I had the inside story on every football match, knew every horse that ever ran, a full breakdown of births, deaths and marriages and other less official goings on,’ he once said.
'We got one of the first televisions in the town and I remember Tony 'Socks' Byrne fighting Dick McTaggart after the Olympics in the early 1950s. The lounge was full, so was the yard and there were crowds on the street watching TV through the window!' recalled Jim.
About 200 people lived on the street when he was a child, 100 of them in Boyne Place, a row of 10 brick houses where Kennedy's cycles is today.
Jim was part of the very fabric of the town and he gave every day of his life to its betterment. He served in many roles, always with a Drogheda First mentality. He was a driving force in the Drogheda Traders Association and was part of the Bonanza committee. He was a foremost member of Drogheda Chamber and chaired the retail committee. If ever a good and honest quote was needed, he was the man to see.
As was fitting, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chamber in 2007, a token for what he achieved and inspired for so many years.
He also loved his racing and was a cornerstone of the Bellewstown Races.
His beloved Mabel passed away just a few short months ago, that bond broken after a lifetime of memories and joy.
“Jim Corcoran’s legacy is his name. It will live on in what he achieved for Drogheda and its people and the work he did on behalf of a place he loved. With Jim’s passing, a great void has been left for his family and friends. We salute him with two simple but precious words - thank you,” Chamber CEO Hubert Murphy stated.