Gavin Lambe-Murphy: why I'm selling coffee and plimsolls on Leeson Street

Times

4 days ago

He personified the high spirits, deep pockets and frenetic socialising of the Celtic tiger era. Now, more than 20 years after the self-styled It boy Gavin Lambe-Murphy disappeared from the Dublin party circuit and the social pages of every glossy magazine and weekend supplement, the 49-year-old is back in the media with his new venture, a concept store called Baggotonia.
Located on Leeson Street Upper in Dublin, the bijou boutique/deli/exhibition space quietly opened in spring with its 'eclectic mix of stylish items', from pantry goods and plimsoles to perfume and ceramics, and is, Lambe-Murphy declares, his first 'proper job'. He's on the shop floor every day, he explains, though not nine to five mind you; from about 10.30am to 3pm you can catch the former poster boy for early Noughties excess selling Italian olive oil and Kinsale-made candles to Dublin 4 locals.
'It's quirky and it's different,' Lambe-Murphy says of the venture, which he established with his longtime friend and business partner Noelle McCarthy, owner of Blow hair salons and holder of the lease to the Baggotonia premises (it sits next door to Blow's flagship salon).
While the idea of a concept store is not new to the capital, Lambe-Murphy's proprietorship and regular presence there appears to be a USP. 'People often come in and ask, 'Is Gavin here?' And the number of people who come in and ask for a selfie with me …' he says, laughing.
Two decades after Ireland's boom and bust, there remains a fascination with the tall blond Malahide native, who went through his own personal, and highly publicised, rise and fall. From extrovert to addict in a few short years, Lambe-Murphy vanished from the merry-go-round of exclusive events and private parties he frequented and wound up in rehab for a cocaine addiction that at its height was costing him a reported €80 a day.
'I had to cut a lot of people out of my life and clean it up,' he says of that time. 'It was a very intense period. Today, everybody is a celebrity on their iPhone, but back then it was different.' Part of the healing process was leaving Dublin. 'I bounced around Italy, Spain and London with my partner, I wrote a book, I spent a lot of time in Rome,' he says. 'I just spent time doing what I needed to do.'
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Lambe-Murphy's mood is consistently lighthearted and affable, even when talking about addiction and recovery. He's at peace with his past and says he has no desire to shake off his former persona. 'It's part of who I was and who I am,' he reflects. It's only when the entrepreneur speaks about his mum that his tone becomes a touch more solemn. The former model died in April and he describes the past few months as a 'tough time' despite the initial success of his new business venture.
'Mum was cool,' he says. 'The only time she ever gave out to me was when I hit rock bottom. She simply said, 'Too far, darling. You've gone too far.' I feel blessed that I had a mum I could call up on the good days and the bad days. I do miss that. It's still very raw.'
Lambe-Murphy says his 'on-again-off-again' partner of 20 years has 'really stepped up and been there for me in a genuine and sincere way' since his mum died. He's a cosmetic surgeon based in Monte Carlo, which means Lambe-Murphy is still a frequent flyer and his globetrotting has informed both his midlife style and the aesthetic of Baggotonia. 'A courier came into the store yesterday and said, 'Oh my God, you've got such good style. You look like an Italian.' I'll take that all day long,' he says, laughing.
The shop has a similarly continental vibe, he reveals. 'Lots of customers say they don't feel like they're in Dublin when they're inside Baggotonia; it's more like a store in London or Rome. We're blessed that the building is so characterful with its exposed brick, but the carpets, perfumed air and lighted candles make people want to stay all day.'
It sounds more like a Parisian salon and the ideal place to host a sell-out art exhibition, which Lambe- Murphy did recently. 'The artist David McDermott created a limited-edition print run of artist's proofs for us and they were gone in three days.'
Baggotonia's bestsellers are jewellery, wine, art and pantry products. 'The plan is to run as is until the end of August and then decide if we need to tweak or streamline our offering,' he explains. 'Customers say they love what we do, but there's a lot of different angles going on in one relatively small space,' he says, confirming his own home in Dublin 2 is 'very minimal'.
'The great thing about a concept store is that you can do anything you want with it. We could stick an ice-cream machine in here and nobody would be surprised. It can keep evolving.' Just like its owner.