A photograph of The Boker. Date: 3rd of January, 2015.
The Boker was situated at 16 Bride Place in Wexford town, near the corner of Carrigeen Street.
Prior to its closure, a corner shop had existed at this location for roughly 70 years.
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The name is believed to have originated from the Irish word “bóthar”, which means “road” or “path.” People would often say they were going “up the road” when referring to this area, as it sits at a higher elevation than the surrounding neighbourhoods of Bride Street and Maudlintown.
Over time, the word gradually evolved until it was pronounced as “boker.” This change is a good example of a localised phonetic shift.
The Boker’s most recent long-term owner was Hasan Sunguroglu, who ran the business with his wife, Marie, between the mid-1990s and 2016.
During the summer of 2016, Hasan sold the business to a local woman named Carmel Nolan. Although Carmel attempted to continue running The Boker as a shop, Google Street View images show that the property had once again been listed for sale by May 2017.
Many small shops have struggled to compete with the likes of Tesco, as larger retailers can strike deals with suppliers and afford to sell certain items below the average retail price. In the past 15 years, local shops such as Crossroads, the Olde Pound, Moore’s, Byrne’s of Bishopswater, Downtown News, and Orla Hore have all closed their doors.
The Boker was particularly popular among the students at the nearby CBS, as it sold rolls, sandwiches, sausage rolls, and other deli foods. At lunchtime, the shop would be crammed with students clamouring for a spot in front of the counter.
Some of the students would hang around outside the shop in the mornings, at lunch times, and in the evenings. These were sometimes called the Boker boys.
Those who smoked cigarettes would hilariously refer to themselves as “the Boker smokers.”
Following its closure, it became a vape shop called “the Superior Vape Company.”
September 2019. Credit: Google Maps.
In August 2021, Declan and Mary Roche leased the premises and opened a new “spin-off” shop called An Boker Nua (the new Boker), which was a nod to its original name. Unfortunately, the odds were stacked against them, and they were forced to close their doors in December 2022.
In more recent times, the unit has become the home of the Boker Barbers, which appears to be a relatively busy spot. Hopefully, the business will be a lasting success.
