Liberties Junk Shop, Dublin City, Ireland 1980

The proprietor of Sam’s Junk Shop in Dublin explains how things that are rubbish to some are valuable to others.
Frank Hall meets the owner of a junk shop on Francis Street Dublin where he has been trading since 1931. Sam has witnessed a lot of changes in the neighbourhood over the years. He explains what he buys and sells in his shop.
Sam’s Junk Shop stocks everything from toys, bicycles, family heirlooms and antiques to crutches and even a lady’s corset. Frank Hall is puzzled as to how you would go about selling the handlebars from a child’s bicycle.
"You’d be surprised the number of people that come and look for bits and pieces."
Sam also explains his pricing system and how he makes a profit largely based on what customers are willing to pay. He does admit however that,
"There’s some stuff here that will never sell."
He has seen a lot of changes on Francis Street over the past fifty years. The street was largely occupied by tenement buildings with tenants living in squalor. Sam believes the key to success and fitting in with the locals, as a foreign man and Jew, is to always have a smile on your face. He assumed the role of “local counsellor for the poor people”.
Despite his years in the business, Sam has yet to come across any real treasure. While he may not have made a fortune from his shop, business is better than ever as he says people have more money now than they have ever had. As he gets older, Sam is reducing his hours in the shop.
Sam, owner of Sam’s Junk Shop, Francis Street, Dublin (1980)
This episode of ‘Ireland’s Eye’ was broadcast on 19 December 1980. The reporter is Frank Hall.

[@tonykennedy8592]

He clearly bought things to help people out without making it look like charity.

[@ArcadiaJunctionModelTrains]

The RTE reporter (Frank Hall) is the same guy who banned The Life of Brian movie. His condescension is sickening and he clearly has no idea what it would be like to be poor. As many people were back then. "Who would buy an opened can of 3 in 1 oil..." I dunno a person who needs this useful product for one or two jobs and not a whole can because they need the price of the whole can for milk or bread perhaps? Honestly, the snooty nature of RTE's overpaid types never changes.

[@ggg-eg5pz]

In fairness the life of Brian was offensive to Roman Catholics.

[@jonathandeh-ora9616]

@@ggg-eg5pz you're dead right.

[@ggg-eg5pz]

@@jonathandeh-ora9616 glad somebody agrees with me. Not only was the film offensive it was also a terrible film 👍

[@kavalogue]

@@ggg-eg5pz that's the weakest worst goddamn argument there is and the split second anyone brings up the offensiveness of something your officially advocating for there to be no end to the madness because it's a topic and view that changes per person. It was offensive to Roman Catholics - so what? And it wasn't that good a film - so it's perfectly fine to ban it? I can guarantee if you told me some foods, drinks, songs, people, and opinions you like, I'd disagree or dislike with some of them. Does that make it acceptable for me to ban the things you like because I dislike them? Fuck off

[@Spook2431NYC]

@@ggg-eg5pz Pls explain why?

[@user-hq5ig9ir2e]

With death of the high street, due to Amazon and online, we’re seeing rents drop and more independents shops again. Shops like his are good for the community and the planet. I’m all for it!

[@euckb]

I dont know what planet youre on. Rent is at an all time high globally, 45% of all mom and pop business stores shut down and couldn't reopen their doors during covid and blackrock and vanguard are set to own 95% of everything by 2028.

[@scottblack9213]

Fascinating interview - my jaw nearly hit the floor when he said he was trading at that address since 1931! Honestly, the change that man would have seen. He must have known every single person in the Liberties and know more than he's letting on!

[@pearse13]

The man is Sam Kronn. His shop was at 35 Francis Street.

[@martkillian4127]

Was?

[@whaleoilbeefhookedmain7672]

@@pearse13 I thought it was Thomas Street at first tbh. Good man

[@elizdonovan5650]

What a lovely gentleman in the shop. Frank Hall is being snooty in this interview. He (Frank Hall) obviously never knew a poor day where he had to figure out how to fix something with extremely limited means. The shop owner/gentleman knew how to re purpose and up-cycle objects. 🌲🌝☘️

[@shanecoakley2763]

You'd be hard-pressed to find a greater example of the embodiment of empathy than this shopkeeper, just as you'd be hard-pressed to find a greater example of his antithesis than the interviewer

[@disprogreavette8545]

3 in 1 oil is useful unlike your average interviewer.

[@turloughkennedy6579]

Lovely gentle manner

[@BOBSYMACK]

One mans junk is another mans treasure comes to mind

[@DashDrones]

I wish we had shops and characters like this now..

[@seandelap6268]

This man must have had plenty of stories to tell throughout his life.

[@Daniel-OConnell]

Way ahead of his time, the forerunner to ebay.

[@adrianosioradain]

This channel is a gem..

[@Mostrichkugel]

What a lovely man. I wish I had known that shop.

[@ciaran5588]

That was less of.an interview & more like an interrogation. He totally humiliated the man at the end. Hall's Pictorial me arse!

[@rutgersplague4595]

Funny thing if any of that bike stuff is Raleigh chopper it's very sought after now, I'm sure there was some definite treasure amongst it

[@md61211]

Yes, that was from a Chopper

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

What a wise man, I would be happy if he was trading in my town, I would visit just to hear this man's wisdom and knowledge, I like horse and car trotting by, it gave me the idea, get rid of electric cars and let the horses and carts back on the roads again

[@TF80s]

You still see the horse and carts around Dublin from time to time.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@TF80s thank for letting me know, I will go one day to Old Dublin town and i hope that i will see a horse and cart go by

[@vilamor007]

Frank Doyle's pub on the Corner,Sam's junk shop,I come from Francis st,I remember Sam as a child growing up he was a Jew man who bought almost anything, fantastic memories, Francis was fantastic back then along with the iveagh market,,,very sadly missed, all the old Characters gone as well as the character of the street and the old Liberties.

[@elzorro7of9]

now its local dublin junkies galore

[@vilamor007]

@@elzorro7of9 unfortunately,but drugs are the scourge we have to live with everywhere.

[@CC-ff7ft]

The heart of dublin, I've family from there going back 70 years ,that's when my grandparents would of moved to the Library's. They have truely tore the heart out of it over the past 20 years, mainly the last 5years ,it sickening. My own mother worked in the Iveagh market & the Mother Red Cap market and my ants & uncles had stalls on Thomas street & pig and horse yards. Good times.

[@liamduffy8737]

His name was Sam crane, he lived in dufferin Avenue off the S.C.Rd and was a true gentleman I was a neighbour until he passed away

[@scottblack9213]

This interview is one of the most fascinating pieces on Dublin I've seen. So insightful and very important - especially in these times - to see the truly humble spirit of Jewish Dublin. These people added so much to Dublin life - they essentially became "Dubs" and quite frankly I lament the fact that Jewish Dublin is ever disappearing, like an old photograph, exposed over time to the rays of the sun.

[@nappertandy9089]

I agree. However it's not just Dublin Jews disappearing, its literal Dubliners. Why does the race for diversity seem to be a race for eradication?

[@karlbyrne6021]

Totally agree with you. #IrelandisFull

[@crow18917]

If anything the culture is being killed by all the american companies that took over our economy and replaced the majority of local shops like this one. It's not immigrants faults for living here..

[@brynteelingtheriverthieves3266]

What a wonderful piece of film . Thank you

[@theRappinSpree]

Any of the older Dubs on here know how much longer Sam stayed in business after this was shot?

[@dechannigan2980]

An interesting man in his Curiosity Shop,, being interviewed by Frank Hall,

[@seandelap6268]

It obviously wasn't junk to other people if they bought it from his shop.

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

Well spoken, and intelligent man I only hope he had the Sense to have bought, the premises he was in. And the burning of bannisters, was common enough, I kept the family home, sentiment value....107 years we own the house.....the bannister went 1964 the year of the big snow.

[@nappertandy9089]

, 😂Did you ever replace it? Actually maybe Aul' Sam id have a sparewun. PS. I'm trying out Dublin idiom in prose je lyke et? Gonna call it "Dublonics" or maybe, "Dublollocks!"

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

@@nappertandy9089 it was replaced, burn then it was burned again in the bad winter of 2010. Keeping you going it was never replaced....

[@3158dave]

Great to see this as I grew up in Dublin. I remember the rag and bone man and his horse and wagon, we could be going back to having a horse or bike the way things are heading but cash would have to remain.

[@finolaomurchu8217]

I remember rag and bone men too. Horse and cart situation 🤣definitely 1970's

[@benji.B-side]

Very interesting, loved this interview.

[@qasaaye23]

Honest, clean program.

[@whaleoilbeefhookedmain7672]

*I Remember Dublin City in the rare aul times* Great footage, looks like a Binge is on the cards .

[@iersejounge]

I remember this Dublin.

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

Used to love that sort of shop. NASA would have probably got a spare O ring for that shuttle back in 86 there.

[@danbrooks3697]

Brilliant!

[@kevinrby1982]

Frank Hall seems snobbish. In the US this style of shop is in every town, and people enjoy going to them. It's a like going on a treasure hunt.

[@greenninja3187]

I'd say that owl lad was an institution around there like a pawn. The note shows they knew him by name. God love him I'd say they missed him when he was gone

[@deeppurple883]

My time I was 22 and starting out in the Liberties . Poverty was rife as was Unemployment and Emigration. I worked in the clothing industry I was lucky. There were many of these kind of little shop's north and south of the liffey. Brutal time's as was the 60s,70s. But I'm still around for my sins. ✌️☘️

[@joelarkin4268]

I love the videos about lreland 🇮🇪☘️☘️☘️

[@spmoran4703]

My dad should have opened a shop like this . The amount of crap he brought home was legendary.

[@mcgannpster]

Very interesting. Thanks for uploading

[@marymary5494]

Fabulous archive.

[@samuesoeilyoriy6581]

rich rte reporters just dont get it .. "who would buy can of 3 in 1 oil " i would have been glad to buy cheap half pint of oil for the morris minor so to get work

[@midnightrider5782]

Great video. 👍

[@ianmangham4570]

He'd sell that corset easy now

[@newsnowireland4028]

Grandpa … take me back to the good old days….. when boys we’re boys and men we’re men 🇮🇪

[@Mostrichkugel]

were, not we're = we are

[@robinhood480]

@@Mostrichkugel If we were men then we’re still men. We were wearing our wares when we we’re men ... where were you ?

[@Mostrichkugel]

@@robinhood480 There, with their friends and they're still there.

[@owenmcgee8496]

I like this video.

[@yayadookie9718]

Nice guy

[@DNAProtein]

Does anybody know the shopkeeper's name and where he was from originally? He's a fascinating character and we were lucky to have him.

[@onetalentedman2822]

Every thing has a value and some one will buy it.

[@md61211]

This is environmentalism at its best. (reduce REUSE recycle)

[@msgfrmdaactionman3000]

Thank you, very cool interview and they trust him for financial advice because of his religion too. Great music, cheers to the Irish.

[@rorycreane7581]

Now Charity shop are still popular business especially clothes for hipsters, vintage clothes etc the reporter was clueless and condescending much more respect for the shop keeper. Not only is this stuff necessary for people on lower incomes but it's more sustainable and better for the environment and so on

[@user-lx5ue4wm5k]

Love to get me hands on that ralley chopper

[@thomasraymer1085]

Good person really

[@romancandlefight1144]

Nice interview by my god the audio needs a high pass filter.. that screeching is melting my brain

[@railgap]

Good song for this video. "It's true that Dublin's changing Since the pillar was blown down By the winds of violence that are buggering up the town We used to solve our difference With a diggin' match and a jar Now they're all playin' bang bang That's goin' too bleedin' far"

[@melissa0386]

U should of took a trip up to summer hill mate I remember seeing everything being sold der it was crazy what u would sell back that time in the 80s I was very young but they were great Times and people were great byers I miss it u would never see that again 😞

[@barney6888]

I haven't seen 3in1 oil in decades, and I'd buy that in an instant! Put the can up with my knick-knacks and use it on the door once a year.

[@TtableWhey]

I was in there on October 19th 1978 and I bought a pair of underpants for my Auntie.

[@geoffhughes2804]

Interviewer TV man very disrespectful shop owner Topman

[@wotzupdoc1]

"How much can I give you for dat cardigan now?"😀

[@katherineraessyoung]

Who would buy that bike part? An artist

[@cruachankeith]

all these 80's Irish interviewers are always so rude lol

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Rude you say, I say not

[@cruachankeith]

@@jamesbradshaw3389 how rude :-P

[@peterlarkin762]

Some things never change. RTE still oozes pretentiousness.

[@noelowens9976]

Up the liberties

[@whaleoilbeefhookedmain7672]

*Up the Flat's*

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

What is the name of the song, that is being played Anybody thanks...

[@tearitloosetearitloose4670]

The Mero. Written by Pete St John. Performed here by The Dubliners.

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

@@tearitloosetearitloose4670 👍

[@si2895]

The year I wos made 🇮🇪💯🇮🇪🙏😒

[@user-po5bi6jb9g]

Never knew the Jewish contribution to Dublin, seems invisible nowadays

[@thomasraymer1085]

“That right there was owned by five kings and two popes it was”

[@DIETRICHCICCONE]

I wonder what became of Sam?

[@williamsteele1409]

i picked up a gaff in one in cork back in the day a fishing gaff a browning old i knew its value 3 quid it cost i got 200 for it

[@tomasofaolain3117]

frank hall great man

[@paudsmcmack3117]

whats the song Ronnie is singing there in the beginning

[@grahamluna6935]

Cash is king

[@jackyeh8149]

The inconclusive skiing psychologically milk because sarah promisingly squash for a silky needle. tender tense, spiritual duck