Born in 1838 in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin Lucinda (Lucy) Byrne started her hairdressing career in 1850 aged 12. In 1860 she married John Roche and so began the Roche era in hairdressing. It was their eldest son Thomas Roche that opened the first barber shop under the Roche name at 9 Haddington Road, Dublin in 1878.
Thomas Roche ran his business in Haddington Road for 9 years before moving it to 34 North Strand Road, Dublin in 1887. His youngest son Joe took over the family business in 1930. When the North Strand was bombed in 1941 the shop was destroyed and Joe relocated to 153 Lower Kimmage Road in 1942.
His eldest son Brendan took over the business in 1956 and a Ladies Salon was added in 1957. Brendan worked there until his retirement and his son Donal now runs the business.
Brendan’s sister Maura and another brother relocated the Ladies Salon upstairs above the Barbershop in 1962. Maura left the family business in 1973 to start a teaching career in Crumlin College where she taught hairdressing until she retired in 2008.
Her son Ciaran started his barbering career in 1983 and now has two barbershops in Co. Kildare: one in Kildare Town and the other Monasterevin, and also a School of Barbering based in Kildare Town.
