Many of the characters in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 movie classic ‘GoodFellas’, have what you might call close shaves in the cinematic retelling of the story of Mafia mobster Henry Hill.

Now a Limerick businessman is providing ‘close shaves’ of a different kind in his new premises located in Fox’s Bow, which is styled on and named after the popular gangster movie.
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“It’s a great movie. When my friend Howard and I were thinking up names for the business we came up with that. We said we’d go for it,” said Goodfellas barber shop proprietor, Keith Goodwin.

The Griffith Avenue native first became interested in the world of hairdressing and hot towel shaves when he was just 16 years old.
“I got a summer job with Hugh Campbell at the Crescent on the top of O’Connell Street. I left school in 1996 before my Leaving Certificate, and through Hugh, I developed an interest in the business,” Keith explained.

Any students or parents of students reading this can who haven’t had a happy exam experience after the recent exam results can take solace from the path Keith Goodwin has taken to becoming his own boss.

“I always had an interest in this type of business. The traditional way of cutting men’s hair was to get them in and get them out just as fast. I wanted to get away from that old fashioned method and bring something new,” said Keith.

With his fashion cuts, highlights and hot towel shaves, attracting top Irish boxers Andy Lee and Bernard Dunne to his list of clientele, Keith is already making his mark on the barber trade, which he sees as “always changing”.

“After working with Hugh, I worked for Hackett’s barbers in town. The shop is running since 1926. I wanted to learn the traditional shaving as well as cutting hair.”

Now with more than just a ‘snip’ of experience, Keith has combined the traditional barber hot towel shaves with latest sleek, modern and popular male haircuts.

“Goodfellas is catering for everyone, both young and old. I want the older man the come into us, where he is able to sit down and have a traditional shave and a cut. I also want to cater for the younger male who’s looking for the latest look,” said Keith.

One of the biggest changes in the barber world is the amount of colour and different styles that men are now using in their hair, according to Keith.