Waltons Music on Georges Street closed it’s doors for the last time last Monday, February 12th. It seems that some people are only now, starting to realise it’s closure.
Even if you’ve never been in the store, you might recognise it from the brilliant film ‘Once’. Yes, this is where Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sang ‘Falling Slowly’ while he also played guitar and she played Walton’s piano.
The Walton family has said that the ‘many changes in the retail landscape’ were to blame for their decision to close the doors on Georges Street and focus on their store in Blanchardstown instead. They said that ‘Waltons New School of Music’ will still operate from the Georges St. premises.
In a blog post announcing the upsetting news, the family said: ‘The reason for this move is to restructure our business in a way that we will be able to offer our customers the best music choices possible at the best prices in the future. With the ever rising costs of doing business in the city centre we need to make sure that our cost base does not make us uncompetitive. We want to be able to give our Irish based customers the best instruments and accessories at the right price in Ireland. To do this we need to adapt and change. We are going nowhere and intend to be able to offer our customers choice and value for a long time to come.’
Waltons Blanchardstown video: https://t.co/FkMnkPg1wg via @YouTube
— Waltons Music (@WaltonsMusic) February 16, 2018
Many have taken to Twitter to express their anger and upset at the store’s closure:
https://twitter.com/_thebradyman/status/965497192084537344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fentertainment.ie%2Fmusic%2Fnews%2FPeople-are-very-sad-about-the-fact-that-iconic-Dublin-music-shop-Waltons-has-closed-down%2F402367.htm
https://twitter.com/activedan/status/956614112229937153
So sad to hear #Waltons is closing. Whether for buying sheet music or spending a few minutes tinkering on their pianos on a Saturday, it was a space for self expression in the city that’s gone for good.
— Conor Neylan (@ConNeylan) February 19, 2018
