Merricks Hardware

Merricks Hardware 'Official Stockist of Frenchic Furniture Paint®' Hardware Store

Irish Moss peat100 litre bags Back in Stock ************60 litre multi purpose compost still on offer Buy 4 bags...
04/06/2026

Irish Moss peat
100 litre bags
Back in Stock
************
60 litre multi purpose compost still on offer
Buy 4 bags for €20.00

Best of luck to all the Leaving certs on Friday Remember that it's just a piece of paper it doesn't define your life.......
03/06/2026

Best of luck to all the Leaving certs on Friday
Remember that it's just a piece of paper it doesn't define your life.....
JUST READ BELOW

“My name’s Frank. I’m 64, a retired electrician.
Forty-two years I spent running wires through houses, fixing breakers, making sure people had light in their kitchens and heat in their winters. Never once did anyone ask me where I went to college. Mostly, they just wanted to know if I could get the power back on before their ice cream melted.

Last May, I was at my granddaughter Emily’s school career day. You know the drill — doctors, lawyers, a software guy in a slick suit talking about “scaling startups.” I was the only one there with a tool belt and work boots.

When it was my turn, I told the kids, “I don’t have a degree. I’ve never sat in a lecture hall. But I’ve wired schools, hospitals, and your principal’s house. And when the hospital generator failed during a snowstorm in ’98, I was the one in the basement with a flashlight, keeping the lights on for newborn babies upstairs.”

The kids leaned forward. They had questions — real ones. “How do you fix stuff in the dark?” “Do you make a lot of money?” “Do you ever get zapped?” (Yes, once, and it’ll curl your hair.)

When the bell rang, one boy hung back. Small kid, freckles, hoodie too big for him. He mumbled, “My uncle’s a plumber. People laugh at him ’cause he didn’t finish high school. But… he’s the only one in the family who can fix anything.”

I looked that boy in the eye and said, “Kid, your uncle’s a hero. When your toilet overflows at midnight, Harvard ain’t sending anyone. A plumber is.”

Here’s the thing nobody told me when I was young — the world doesn’t run without tradespeople. You can have all the engineers you want, but if nobody builds the house, wires the power, or lays the pipes, those blueprints just sit in a drawer.

We’ve made it sound like trades are what you do if you can’t go to college, instead of a path you choose because you like working with your hands, solving problems, and seeing your work stand solid for decades.

Four years after high school, some kids walk away with diplomas. Others walk away with zero debt, a union card, and a skill they can take anywhere in the world. And guess what? When your furnace dies in January, it’s not the diploma that saves you.

A few weeks ago, that same freckled kid’s mom stopped me at the grocery store. She said, “You probably don’t remember, but you told my son trades are important. He’s shadowing his uncle this summer. First time I’ve seen him excited about anything in years.”

That’s the part we forget — for some kids, knowing their path is respected changes everything. It’s not about “just” fixing wires or pipes. It’s about pride. Purpose. The kind that sticks with you long after the job’s done.

So next time you meet a teenager, don’t just ask, “Where are you going to college?” Ask, “What’s your plan?” And if they say, “I’m learning to weld,” or “I’m starting an apprenticeship,” smile big and say, “That’s fantastic. We’re going to need you.”

Because we will. More than ever. And when the lights go out, you’ll be glad they showed up.”

Happy Monday....We are open Today Bank Holiday Monday 11am-1pm
01/06/2026

Happy Monday....
We are open Today Bank Holiday Monday 11am-1pm

Thinking of painting OutsideMassive June OffersCall in and see for yourselfTel: 09621313
01/06/2026

Thinking of painting Outside
Massive June Offers
Call in and see for yourself
Tel: 09621313

Open today Sunday 11-1pm and Tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday 11-1pm
31/05/2026

Open today Sunday 11-1pm and Tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday 11-1pm

40 years ago ....Some Things change and sometimes Some Things never change A very young Jonathan in 1986 proud to be sel...
30/05/2026

40 years ago ....
Some Things change and sometimes Some Things never change
A very young Jonathan in 1986 proud to be selling Fleetwood Weatherclad

We Open 7 days a weekIncluding Bank Holiday's Summer offers now onNo Gimmicks JUST GREAT PRICES Call 096 2 13 13 Mobile ...
30/05/2026

We Open 7 days a week
Including Bank Holiday's
Summer offers now on
No Gimmicks JUST GREAT PRICES
Call 096 2 13 13
Mobile 085 7 12 12 11

Lovely 6 seater Patio/Garden PodAvailable in store Delivery Nationwide Available On offer at €899.00
27/05/2026

Lovely 6 seater Patio/Garden Pod
Available in store
Delivery Nationwide Available
On offer at €899.00

Cuprinol Shed & Fence PaintClearing at €5.00 per 5 litreLimited stockWhen it's gone it's gone
27/05/2026

Cuprinol Shed & Fence Paint
Clearing at €5.00 per 5 litre
Limited stock
When it's gone it's gone

ONLY 69.50 A BUCKET Dulux Weathershield NO PRICE INCREASE SAME GREAT PRICE AS LAST YEAR
27/05/2026

ONLY 69.50 A BUCKET
Dulux Weathershield
NO PRICE INCREASE SAME GREAT PRICE AS LAST YEAR

Address

Killala Road, Co. Mayo
Ballina
F26X380

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 1pm

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