ONE of Fermanagh’s most iconic fish and chips shops is set to use its deep fat dryer for the final time.
The Golden Arrow at Townhall Street in Enniskillen will serve its last fish supper on Saturday, February 10.
Owned by the Italian Lucchesi family, the restaurant holds a special place in the hearts of many people in the county town.
Silvano Lucchesi was born in the Italian city of Lucca in 1925 but lived in Enniskillen since 1952 when he arrived to help his father with the restaurant.
In the intervening years, he ran the family restaurant in the town centre with his wife Luisa. His son-in-law Gerry Ledwith currently runs the business but is now retiring.
“It’s the end of an era,” Mr Ledwith said.
The sentiment was shared by many others on social media, with a Facebook post revealing the shop’s closure has received nearly 1,000 likes and 500 comments.
“It was always such a wonderful treat as a child to get a single chip and a brown bottle of Fanta with a paper straw. I’ll always fondly remember the day my late mum proceeded to unscrew the top of a bottle of vinegar and poured it over her fish ’n chips,” Hazel Nuttie posted.
“The plate was swimming but still ate it anyway! Some really lovely memories from yesteryear and a really iconic establishment in the heart of the town.”
Jason Gibson remembered how his grandmother Gladys Gibson worked there saying: “When I was only two, I remember her bringing home ice cream out of it.”
Benny Cassidy was one of the many well-wishers.
“Best wishes Gerry and the rest of the amazing Golden Arrow team. I hope you have a good well deserved rest Gerry and I know by the reaction to this post people loved the Golden Arrow and we’ll all miss it so much,” he said.
Maurice Hetherington recalled getting a bag of chips for sixpence from the fish and chip shop coming from school, while Derek Fallis had other happy memories.
“The late, great John Haslett, on arriving home for a weekend of piano playing at the Central always stocked up for the gigs with a battered sausage supper in the Arrow. This, for us, was the start of the weekend,” Mr Fallis wrote.
Above all, the generosity of its owners was a common theme throughout the many Facebook comments.
“The Lucchesi family were the loveliest people and very generous to big families like ours…extra bread and butter would appear on the table. I will be so so sad on the day that this place closes the doors,” Caitrín Nic Liam posted.
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