If you have a teddy in need of a mend, mark your calendar.
The Dollstore, a city centre mainstay since the 1930s, is set to open its doors once more on Sunday, March 11th at 12.00 pm.
The grand reopening at their new Powerscourt Townhouse Centre location will be a children’s day, featuring balloons, face-painting and life-size teddy bears meeting and greeting young ones at the doors.
The owners of the much-loved dolls' hospital and teddy bear clinic, announced plans to close the store, which had been based on South Great George's Street, due to financial reasons.
Chris and Melissa Nolan were planning to move operations online when they pulled down the shutter on the store for what they thought was the last time on Saturday, February 5th.
When the store’s initial closure was announced, offers began to pour in for alternative locations. The Nolans received as many as 10 serious offers, but Powerscourt soon won out.
“Powerscourt came in fairly quickly and seemed the most suitable location, so close and city centre! I feel that the hospital is really city centre, Dublin,” said Melissa Nolan.
Ms Nolan said she expects the move to the new store will be completed over the next week.
Everything from the old Georges St. location must go: Over thirty years of antique collecting, dolls and spare parts must be wrapped, boxed, transported, and taken up three flights of stairs to the South William St. store. Even the glass cases and solid mahogany counters will make the trip.
The new store will feature a museum in the Powerscourt’s Georgian ballroom, with vintage toys and collectibles, including Ms Nolan’s extensive set of Crolly dolls.
Perhaps most anticipated though is the new, fully-functioning doll hospital and teddy bear clinic, which is expected to open in July or August.
“We’ll have a nice counter where the kiddies can come in and express their problems with their bears,” Ms Nolan said.
Unfortunately, the Nolans are not taking repairs at the moment, but may make a special exception for an emergency. However, the Dollstore's owners do have other hospital-related plans.
“I know the Children’s Hospital has been refused, but whatever stage that comes on, we would be delighted to create a doll’s hospital there. That will be nice,” Ms Nolan said.