'A visionary, entrepreneur and risk-taker': Golden Discs founder Jackie Fitzgerald dies

Jack Fitzgerald and Tom Rogers.

The founder of Golden Discs Jack Fitzgerald has been remembered as "a visionary, entrepreneur and risk-taker" whose influence on the music industry in Ireland will be remembered for generations to come.

The founder of Ireland's largest and oldest home-entertainment specialist retail chain passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 15, aged 94.

In a statement released by Golden Discs, Fitzgerald was described as ‘a visionary’ who took risks and who played a pivotal role in shaping Ireland’s music industry.

In 1962, he co-founded the Trans-Atlantic Record Agency (TARA) with Tom Rogers. Four years later, in 1966, they rebranded as Golden Discs, opening a store in Ireland’s first shopping mall in Stillorgan.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Golden Discs became a cornerstone of the Irish music industry, offering everything from chart-topping albums to concert tickets and VHS rentals.

The company quickly expanded nationwide and was a pioneer in home delivery, offering global mail-order services.

The introduction of CDs and DVDs in the 1980s and 1990s fuelled further growth, leading to the opening of over 100 stores across the island of Ireland, however, the late 2000s brought significant industry changes with the rise of the internet, file-sharing, and streaming platforms.

Today, 63 years after its founding, Golden Discs remains one of Ireland’s most trusted retail brands, operating 20 stores nationwide.

The statement issued by the company read: “Jack’s legacy continues through his son Stephen, who continues to develop and grow the family business. Beyond Golden Discs, Jack made another lasting impact on the Irish music industry by establishing Tara Records (now Tara Music), a leading traditional music label founded in 1972.

“The label’s first release featured a then-unknown Christy Moore. Tara Records went on to release music from iconic artists such as Planxty, Clannad, The Chieftains, Bill Whelan, Davy Spillane, and Liam O’Flynn.” Fitzgerald is survived by his wife, Rose Marie, and their children Gary, Stephen, Barbara, Debbie, and D.P.