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The
Athletic Stores founded 1885 by the son of a farming
family, dealt in saddles and leather goods. Traded from a site at the corner of Donegall Square West and Wellington Place. This site now occupied by Scottish Provident Building.  Moved to Bridge Street in the early 1900's and also opened a shop in Bedford Street. The Company traded in Bridge Street and Bedford Street very successfully until the Belfast blitz in 1941. The whole of Bridge Street was flattened. We then moved to 15-21 Wellington Place purchasing this large six storey building for the sum of £50,000. Again we settled in and traded successfully until a fire completely destroyed the whole building on January 23rd, 1974. Reported on News At Ten as the biggest fire in Belfast!! By then the business was being run by the third generation of the original family. After the fire we moved to premises across and down Queen Street as close to our burnt out building as possible. We continue to sell High Quality sports equipment, clothing and footwear at 41 Queen Street, Belfast. |