Galway mourns loss of local legend

One of Galway’s best loved characters, former draper, Sonny Molloy, has passed away after a relatively short illness.

Sonny was the unofficial king of High Street where he reigned for 40 years running his traditional drapers’ shop, Naughtons, with wife Teddy, who passed away in 2002.

A native of Woodquay, he lived in Riverside until about three months ago when he was diagnosed with cancer.

He had married into the shop which in total traded for 80 years but it quickly became known as Sonny Molloys thanks to his warm personality and his close attention to getting to know his customers.

He closed his shop in 1997 so he could enjoy retirement but also because demand for his particular goods — thick woollen socks, sensible underwear and outdoor clothing mostly geared at fishermen — had waned.

Time was when his biggest trade was to Connemara customers and inhabitants of the three Aran Islands.

His story and that of the shop was told in Donal Haughey’s award winning documentary Sonny Days which was shown on RTE just before the shop doors were closed for the last time.

Such was his popularity that the new owners of the premises in High Street, left the original wooden counter in what is now The Front Door pub as well as having Sonny Molloy’s name on the pub front.

His first name was Joseph but everyone knew him as Sonny and while his wife Teddy filled packages of orders to be dispatched onto the ferry to the Aran Islands, Sonny had time and a kind word for everyone.

In his retirement he continued his connection with the street by socialising with his former business neighbours and continued to sing with the Augustinian Choir.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.