THIS coming Friday, Brian McCormick Sports and Leisure will host a customer appreciation day to celebrate 30 years in business in Letterkenny.
For Brian McCormick and his staff, it’s a way of saying thanks to those who have shown friendship and loyalty since the shop first opened back in April 1995.
Brian admits that he struggles to believe that it’s 30 years since he took his first tentative steps into business.
He was only 22 years old when he left his position with Champions Sports in Dublin and opened his own shop.
“I remember dad ringing me up in Dublin and telling me that he had a premises in mind that might just work,” Brian said.
“I’d completed my apprenticeship with Champions Sports and before that with Elvery’s and Lifestyle Sports and it was always the plan that I would come home again.
“We were very lucky that Alan Spear and his wife were good enough to agree to sell the building to us, and we’re here since.”
It was a big few months in the life of the Letterkenny native who had attended Gormanston College in Co. Meath and had been away from home since the age of 12.
In February that year – just two months before the business was launched – he got married to Portlaoise native, Lisa Reid and the couple set up home in Letterkenny.
Lisa, along with Brian’s parents, Jim and Fionnuala, would provide much needed support when the shop first got up and running.
“I was very young and naive which was probably a strength at the time and the family was a great support network,” Brian said.
“We were reared in business. My father always said if you had a bad day, don’t worry about it – as tomorrow will be a better day .
“So there was always a strong family network to get you through whatever had to be done, or if you needed a conversation, someone was always there.”
Even words of advice from his granny ‘Nana’ in Milford have stayed with Brian all these years later, her motto was to make sure you ‘bring the customer back’.
“I often think of what she said, because to be honest, that hasn’t really changed. And nowadays, you see people who came here with their parents, and they’re coming in now with their own children. That’s life, and it’s so nice to see.”
Brian says he can remember the early days of the business with great fondness. The staff he had with him played their part in creating a new business.
He mentions people like Martin McGinley, Ciaran McHugh, Anthony Gorman and Tina Watson who were all valued staff members. Valerie Moore has been part of the team for 28 of the 30 years.
“Yeh, Valerie is still here and what can I say? She’s a privilege to work with. Thank you Val!
“I enjoy working here, we help each other and have a laugh along the way.
“Maybe I created that environment, but that’s how I like it.”
Almost right on cue, a hearty laugh goes up on the shop floor where staff member Shauna Orr is dealing with a customer. Brian also mentions Dan O’Donnell who left recently after 16 years, And Pajo Rafferty, who manages the stock room, is another key member of the staff.
Brian and Lisa have two children, Ciara and James.
Brian’s dad, Jim passed away suddenly in September 2011, leaving behind Brian’s mum Fionnula and also his two older brothers, Owen and Gerard.
Jim’s close association with the Tidy Towns organisation in Letterkenny has been kept alive by both Gerard and Brian’s long time involvement in the local group.
“It’s just a part of our lives really,” Brian points out.
“If you have an interest in it, you can get back so much. It’s all about community and there’s a lot of good people involved.
“There is a great connection with the council too. It is a partnership and without that relationship, you wouldn’t be going anywhere.”
Brian has also played a key role in the growth of Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce which he reckons has never been as strong.
He completed two stints as Chamber President and insists that again, there are a lot of good people giving of their time for the benefit of the town.
“The Chamber is very pro-active. There’s a lot of new, fresh blood in there that’s full of ideas and to be fair it’s great and there is a great mix of people involved,” he said.
“But there are problems.
“Traffic is a problem in the town and at times, it’s putting people off. There are things that can be done initially – the right way to do it is to communicate with the council.
“We need to share the knowledge we have and ask them to take it on and to implement ideas that we give them. I hope that for the sake of the town, they do take on the ideas.
“The powers that be need to realise that the business world is changing.”
Those changes include online shopping, which Brian points out, really took off during Covid times.
Fortunately the shop’s website, www,bmcsports.ie was well set up to deal with the sudden upsurge in online businesses at that time.
“There’s one thing I can say, we are generally always ready,” he adds. “You do things early, it keeps you in business.”
The shop has also changed to suit customer demands and McCormick’s now stock a wide range of products for local sports clubs, underlining the shop’s close association with the local community.
Brian is also very proud of his close connections with St. Eunan’s GAA club and Letterkenny Rovers where his youngest child, James, plays underage.
And while he chats about the friends he has made in both clubs, Brian laments those who have gone to their eternal reward. He mentions in particular Dessie Kelly, the former chairman at Letterkenny Rovers who rarely went a day without calling into the shop to say hello.
“He actually had a genuine interest in how the shop was going,” Brian added. “I do miss him, Dessie was a dear friend .”
Tomorrow McCormick’s will host the official unveiling of the brand new Donegal GAA jersey which will mean another busy day on the shop floor.
Then on Friday, there will be teas and coffees and some nice treats to mark 30 years in business.
“It’s nice to say thanks to people,” Brian said.
“Thirty years is a long time and people have been very good to us. You shouldn’t ever forget that.”
