Seventeen Clerys concessionaires have banded together in a bid to retrieve an estimated €2.5m in lost revenue, arising from the sudden closure of the iconic Dublin department store earlier this month.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is considering an overhaul in the law to prevent a repeat of the shock closure of Clerys department store after it was bought by venture capitalists.

The battle for the hearts and minds of Limerick shoppers began in earnest back in 2011, when the local authority devised a scheme to entice new retailers into the city centre

More outlets are opening on the country’s prime shopping streets, writes Peter O’Dwyer