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It's the end of the world as we know it - Carlin Records owner Darran Turtle pulled down the shutters for the very last time at close of business today at his Hill Street, Newry premises bringing to an end the presence of a dedicated music shop in Newry City possibly forever.
Joe and Mary Carlin opened Carlin’s in the early 1960’s and son Michael ran it until 1999. Noel Griffin owned the business until 2005 with present and last owner Darran Turtle taking over until the 26th of July 2014.
The heady days of the eighties and nineties when getting the latest release of an album or single from your favourite band immediately was the be all and end all for every teenager has long given way to the era of digital downloads.
As Newry’s only Ticketmaster distributer, It’s unlikely that Hill Street will ever again see the queues forming outside a shop days before a major concert. It will surely signal the total dominance of the buy it online not in-line method of ticket sales.
Back then there was Sounds Good in Monaghan Street and Carlins in Hill Street and both had their loyal following. Changes to the way people buy and share and even download music for free certainly would make it difficult for a music shop to be a viable proposition at present.
Last customer ever in Carlin Records was Newry man Peter Poland and as the till opened for the last time the shutters were brought down on another Newry institution, the likes of which we will never see again.
