An Taisce has expressed serious concern about the decision by one of the west's oldest confectionery businesses, Griffin's Bakery, to sell up in Galway's city centre.
The 129-year-old bakery has been placed on the market this week with a guide price of €10 million, according to agents LPM Commercial.
The move comes just weeks after Kenny's bookshop, several doors down in High Street, announced that it would be closing and moving into cyberspace.
Griffin's Bakery was founded by John Griffin in 1876 as a wholesale business in Cross Street.
His son Matthew moved into Shop Street and ran the business with his wife Maggie until the 1950s, when it was taken over by a third generation, Anthony Griffin and his wife Eithne.
The couple still maintain a presence in the business, which is now run by one of their their sons, Jimmy.
He recently noted how it had transformed over four generations from horse and cart deliveries to orders by e-mail, with Aran islanders still among the most loyal customers.
Derrick Hambleton of An Taisce's Galway branch said that the organisation was seriously concerned about the trend, and the fact that Griffin's is a protected structure.
A recent rate increase caused considerable anger among city centre businesses, and Mr Hambleton said that pedestrianisation had also had a negative impact.
"While we all must accept that change is inevitable, it is nevertheless a shame that Galway is losing just the type of traditional family business which added so much character and humanity to this rapidly-modernising ancient city," he said.
Mr Hambleton has called on the city council and local business community to work out a plan.
"It would seem to An Taisce that Galway has lately come into the grip of accountants, auctioneers and developers whose only apparent interest is to maximise their own financial returns," he said.
Stephen Rynne, of LPM Commercial, said tenders for the 465sq m (5,000sq ft) premises, which backs on to Middle Street, would close at the end of January.
A nearby jewellery shop, Blacoe's, is believed to have sold for more than €6 million.
