We have long been fans of Down to Earth, a health food store and homeopathic dispensary, on Dublin’s South Great George’s Street. It is always a joy to speak with them when they appear on the pages of our magazine. In our Summer 2020 issue, founder Jack Irwin shared an amazing historical link between the present-day store, and an old homeopathic dispensary which existed on the very same spot during the 1850s!
Unearthing Legacy
A health store with history
by Aisling Cronin
Down to Earth health food store on Dublin’s South Great George’s Street has been a beloved fixture of Dublin’s health-conscious community for decades. The business has demonstrated remarkable stamina and ingenuity over its four decades in business. The store was founded in 1978 in Malahide, Co. Dublin, by Jack Irwin – who maintains an active role in the business – and is now managed by his daughter Jane.
The secret of Down to Earth’s success and longevity lies in its customer-focused business model and its willingness to learn, grow and innovate as times have changed. The store supplies a comprehensive range of health food supplements, natural skincare, eco-friendly household products, vitamins, organic foods, aromatherapy oils, CBD oils and more. An in-house nutritional therapist is on hand to provide expert advice.
Down to Earth has also acquired a reputation for excellence in providing homeopathic remedies. In a recent conversation I had with Jack, he shared that Down to Earth’s location is historically linked to one of Dublin’s oldest known homeopathic practitioners.
‘During the 1850s, John Armstedt Ray – one of Dublin’s original homeopaths – owned a family chemist on South Great George’s Street, where Down to Earth now stands,’ Jack revealed. ‘He later owned a second premises on Nassau Street, and by 1859, he was advertising as a homeopathic chemist. We love the fact that there is this link between our shop and the history of homeopathy in Dublin.’
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