Salon owner counts blessings after break in

A Cork business owner has described the heartbreak of seeing her salon door smashed to pieces after a break in on Mother’s Day.

Amy Shanahan, who runs Amy Michelle Hairdressing in Turner’s Cross, was woken in the early hours of Sunday morning by gardaí knocking on her door.

“The minute we saw a guard at the door we thought someone had died,” Ms Shanahan told the Cork Independent.

“Then they said the salon had been broken into, so there was a small sense of relief that at least everyone was okay.

“When I saw how bad it was, like the door was completely smashed, it broke my heart at the time, it was terrible,” she added.

The thieves used a brick to smash the window which also damaged a table inside the salon. Less than €100 in cash and a number of hairdryers were taken during the robbery which meant Ms Shanahan was able to open for business that day, albeit with her front door boarded up.

She continued: “To be honest, I couldn't afford to be closed. If they had ransacked the place, it could have been a couple of weeks before we open, so I'm lucky in that regard.

“They didn't get very much like, there was only the float in the till and they got a couple of hairdryers, so all that damage and upset was for nothing really. You feel a bit violated that someone could do that to you after all your hard work.”

Amy Michelle Hairdressing has been in business in Turner’s Cross for eight years and Ms Shanahan says this is the first time anything like this has happened.

Heaping praise on the local community, Ms Shanahan said she found great comfort in the support of her clients and nearby businesses after the burglary.

“They're fabulous. My husband couldn't get over it when we were cleaning up the glass, the amount of customers that walked in asking did we want any help,” she said.

Gardaí investigations are ongoing and anyone with information on Sunday morning’s break in is encouraged to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111 or any garda station.