Local jeweller says some retailers were hung out to dry during lockdown

A long established Tipperary jeweller has hit out at businesses which he feels took advantage of restrictions imposed during the lockdown.

Cahir based John Quirke was among the outlets which have had to remain closed during much of the pandemic.

On Tipp Today earlier he was critical of other businesses who could remain open for adding items that he would normally sell to their product range.

“A fierce contentious issue altogether because the essential shops that were privileged to remain open, maybe some of them took advantage of our misfortune of being closed and they started to sell some of the very same items.”

“We felt – particularly the jewellers and gift shops – that we were hung out to dry in certain situations like that. I mean the public should be aware of that kind of thing that people (businesses) didn’t help one another as much as they should have.”