Nice Guy Leddy

It’s been a busy 12 months for Tommy Leddy of the legendary Sound Shop in Drogheda. Co Louth. Not only is he readying himself for The Sound Shop stand at this year’s Music Show. He’s also celebrating the first anniversary of the TLT Theatre in Drogheda, which opened its doors for business in September of last year.

With 900 seats and a stage as big as that of the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the TLT is one of the biggest facilities of its kind outside the capital. The fact that it opened in the depths of a recession and is already a huge success is a testament to its founder’s determination and persistence against the odds. According to Leddy, the idea for the theatre first came about in 2004 when the old St. Peters Parochial hall in Drogheda was sold to a developer and subsequently demolished. “I decided that Drogheda and the surrounding areas needed a proper, professional theatre that could cater for every type of performance - from local groups to international performers,” he says. “I also wanted a venue that was run independently to ensure its existence well into the future.”
In 2007 when The Sound Shop re-located from its premises in the old Mayoralty building in Drogheda town centre to East Coast Business Park, he decided it was an ideal opportunity to build a brand new 900-seat state of the art theatre and concert hall.
“The first thing we had to do was to raise the funds,” he says. “We had nothing to start with in terms if finances, even though it would eventually cost €2 million to fit out. But with the help of some investors and a bank loan, it has been built and is now up and running with everything in place.”
According to Leddy, it’s been a huge success right from the opening night, proving conclusively that Drogheda needed such a facility. “We’ve had some fantastic nights entertainment over the past year with everything from Tommy Tiernan and Jedward to the RTE Concert Orchestra and Mary Black,” he says “Over the coming months we’ve artists of the calibre of Christy Moore, Phil Coulter, The High Kings and Daniel O’Donnell coming in and that’s to name just a few.”
What has surprised Leddy most since the TLT opened is just how far people are prepared to travel to attend the various events, as he explains “We get people coming from about a 60-mile radius including places like Longford, and as far away as Belfast and Bray and everywhere in between. We now have a deal in place with the D Hotel in Drogheda where you can get an overnight package, including bed & breakfast, dinner and theatre tickets and that’s proven to be very popular.”
He also makes the point that it’s still early days yet in the life of the theatre and that as more and more people discover the facility it will become even more successful in the future.
“Some people are only hearing about it which is why we’ll be promoting some of the upcoming events at The Music Show. Last night, for example, when I was out and about talking to people at a show, I’d say 50% of them were there for the first time.”
He even jokes that the nearby 24-hour Tesco has seen an upsurge in business since the Theatre opened. “It’s absolutely true,” he laughs “We have an arrangement whereby our patrons use their car park and they’ve discovered that after the shows many of them decide to do a bit of shopping.”
Meanwhile, over 40 years since it first opened for business The Sound Shop continues to thrive and maintain its position as one of the best-known music instrument and equipment outlets in the country. Big supporters of the Music Show right from the start they will be there in strength this year showcasing a wide range of instruments, equipment and accessories. “We’ll actually be present in three different guises,” Leddy says. “We’ll have the Sound Shop stand of course, along with Macro Music – our distribution wing and the TLT theatre, which will have a separate display. As well as the usual range of guitars, pianos and keybords we’ll be showcasing some new instruments. One we’re excited about is the Clarineo, a new instrument invented by a clarinet teacher which allows people who play the recorder to transfer easily to a wind instrument. We’ll also be showcasing Stentor fiddles and Breedlove guitars, along with plenty of other ranges.”

Tommy Leddy appears at the Hot Press Music show, which takes place in the RDS, Dublin on October 2 and 3.