CAPEL STREET HEAD SHOP FIRE
Feb 19th, 2010 by Conor McCabe
I walked by the ruins of the Head Shop on Capel Street there yesterday and thought to meself, ok, maybe this was an accident, but if it was, it was in that ‘knife in the back/worst case of suicide’ kind of way.
Said I to meself (seeing these news reports) : “Holy Mother o’ Jaysus, the Legion o’ Mary is going through a drastic shift of tactical approach these days”
BTW Where did this term ‘Head Shop’ come from ??
I don’t know where the term “head” shop came from, but this particular Head shop was next to a sex shop, and that kinda writes itself really.
The term “HEAD SHOP” came from these shops being open late at night and serving through a hatch - all they can see is your HEAD !!
Why does the Irish Times not put quotes around the term adult shop [in the photo caption here]. I understand that you could by neither a head nor an adult in them.
One of the first shops in the U.S. legally selling drug paraphernalia was called “The Zebra’s Head” in the town of Denton, Texas (of all places). It became normal to refer to it and other shops associated with the “Hippy” or “Yippy” movement as “Head” shops after other similar shops opened in Haight Ashbury in San Francisco and Greenwich Village in New York.
I’m not sure, but I believe the name of the original shop came from a stuffed Zebra’s head which was mounted behind the counter.
As to why they didn’t become known as “Zebra shops” I cannot say.
T McG - thanks - that sounds like the most plausible explanation. I had feared a shop selling severed adult heads - as suggested by the IT’s non use of apostrophes. Although - even with copious backhanders to local politicians, I don’t think you could run that sort of shop for long on Capel St. Conor’s suggestion sounded all too plausible for Capel St.
There is also the old Dublin contraction of ‘Head the ball’ or ‘header’ to just ‘head’ (is the word still used?). I couldn’t imagine people going in to buy this kind of merchandise either.
Jacqui - ah, alright - those bloody hatches - like the unfortunate 24 hr garage employee in this Half Man Half Biscuit vid :
I understand that you could by neither a head nor an adult in them.