As Joe McLaughlin wraps up a commendable 51-year retail career, he reflected that his years behind the counter were gratifying, despite a jarring event that continues to plague him.
In the early hours of a morning in February 2010, McLaughlin was heading back to his residence in Co Louth after taking his dogs for a walk. He was preparing to open up his Castlebellingham shop, which also housed a post office division.
McLaughlin recounts that as he was about to unlock his front door, he found something abruptly pressed against his head. He spun around and was met with three masked individuals pointing a gun at him, instructing him to enter his house without causing any commotion.
They demanded he refrain from triggering any alarming mechanisms, revealing their sole interest was the post office’s monetary contents, not bloodshed. As McLaughlin obeyed their orders, Tess emerged from the restroom and was terrified when confronted with the situation. The assailants bound her to a chair and pressed a gun against her head as they took a Polaroid photo of her.
McLaughlin, aged 65 at the time, explains that the culprits necessitated they provide “written directives for the postmistress” concerning the safe’s money. In return, they offered him a snapshot of Tess as evidence. McLaughlin was sternly informed that her safety hinged on his ability to provide them access to the safe’s contents.
McLaughlin shares that although his shop was to open at 6.30 am, the post office only commenced operations at 9 am. Hence, he had to put on a brave face and interact cheerily with customers and distributors for approximately two and a half hours. Simultaneously, he was tormented by the thought of Tess being held captive and was unsure about her condition.
McLaughlin ultimately disclosed the photograph and directives to the postmistress, which motivated her to pack roughly €105,000 in a rubbish bag. As instructed, he abandoned it in a nearby alleyway. He emotionally recalls collapsing on the pavement a few moments after the distressing encounter. The culprits were never found despite relentless investigation attempts by local law enforcement.
McLaughlin agonizes, “What was expected of me? The life of the woman I held dear was on the line. The forty-minute wait for law enforcement to locate Tess and confirm her safety felt interminable.”
Roughly a decade and a half ago, there was a surge in what became known as tiger kidnappings, primarily affecting employees of banks and post offices. With the strengthening of security measures making standard bank and cash-in-transit thefts increasingly challenging, criminals chose instead to abduct the family members of workers, essentially demanding a ransom for their safety.
The Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, collaborated closely with the senior management of banks and An Post to develop robust security procedures, and emphasised the importance of adhering to these measures, particularly during live incidents. Before these protocols were implemented, there had been several instances where these gangs had received ransom payments before the police were even informed of the ongoing abduction.
Once these new procedures were in place, An Garda Síochána issued instructions that no funds were to be transferred from banks or post offices to these criminals without prior police notification. Upon being alerted, the police would then take control of the situation. This strategy led to several thwarted tiger kidnappings, resulting in the identification, apprehension and charging of several gang members, thus reducing the frequency of such crimes.
Despite the trauma of the whole experience, this did not deter McLaughlin from opening a new shop in Kilsaran, this time without a post office. In his words, “You can’t allow individuals like that to gain the upper hand, it’s vital to move forward, and I truly enjoy the retail sector and interacting with people.”
Originally from Belfast, McLaughlin left school and trained as a butcher before relocating to Dundalk. He took out a loan from the local credit union to start a mobile shop venture. During Ireland’s first World Cup in 1990, he would sell bunting, T-shirts, hats, and flags, a time he recalls with fondness as being full of ‘great fun’. Subsequently, he opened his initial shop in Dundalk, before relocating every half a decade to build a new business from the ground up, stating that he enjoyed continually meeting new individuals. He said, “It’s quite a straightforward concept. If you establish good relationships with people, they will reciprocate.”
The landscape of the retail sector has seen significant transformations over time, with solitary stores battling the prowess of large scale retailers. However, McLaughlin firmly believes that consumers still yearn for a personal interaction and welcoming service, a characteristic he feels is gradually fading out in the current time.
He expresses his concern for the small businesses that are barely surviving and emphasises on the importance of customer care, stating “We are fortunate to have patrons, and it is our duty to cater to them accordingly”. He expressed his discontent with the prevailing circumstances where employees in certain stores neither greet nor thank customers. He is particularly annoyed to see staff preoccupied with their cell phones instead of taking care of customers.
With over 50 years of retail experience filled with highs and lows, McLaughlin credits his success to the people he’s come across and the continued support he’s received. Though he expressed his sorrow over bidding farewell to his career in retailing, he hinted at another potential venture, claiming, “Keep an eye out, there’s always a follow-up chapter for Joe.”