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WITH schools across the country closed today, two Laois students didn’t waste a second with their time off.

Several counties across Ireland were hit with up to eight inches of snow and hazardous conditions this week as an Arctic blast moved over the country.

Irene Fitzgerald

Irene Fitzgerald

However, for Conor, 10, and Dylan Fitzgerald, 9, the fun was only beginning when their school in Ratheniska, Co Laois announced they’d be closing this week.

The brothers, hoping to “get away from mom”, took it upon themselves to build a den out of the snow – which quickly turned into their very own igloo.

The boys’ mum Irene told the Irish Sun: “It’s been unbelievable, I’m still taking pictures here now of outside and around the house.

“The boys have been off school, their local school has been closed because it’s also out in the country.

“The boys actually wanted to build a den so they could escape me from the snow fighting.”

Slowly but surely, the design went from a den to an igloo, with the boys even popping a Portlaoise flag on top to complete the decor.

Irene said: “We were out throwing snowballs and they decided on a den and we came up with this idea of making the igloo so they could get in there to get away from me.

“I’m a bigger child than they are and that’s the way it worked out, just having a bit of craic when they’re trying to get away from their mom.”

Irene recalled her own childhood memories of snow days like these, and while her children couldn’t return to school following the Christmas break, she felt it was just as important for them to build their own memories like her own.

She said: “They were taking hot chocolate breaks in between, when they’re off school and if they can do something like that I’m happy to have them home.

“When we got it this year, it was like, oh thank God, it’s great to see.”

COMPETITION

Similarly in Tipperary, Kayleigh Dwyer and her family also had a go at building their own igloo.

Initially just making a snowman, Kayleigh, her dad James and boyfriend Dillon decided to make something bigger as a way of clearing off some of the snow.

As they live up in the hills, they were left with around three feet of snow, and the icy conditions meant it would freeze over.

All in all it took them a whopping four days to complete.

Kayleigh told The Irish Sun: “We got boxes and we were filling up the boxes and I’m stomping on it to compact the snow. And it was so satisfying watching it come out.

“Because we’re up so high, the snow was freezing around five o’clock every evening. And if it was turning into powder, it wouldn’t compact.”

Once it was built, they could finally see some road again with the snow now in the form of “our first home”, Kayleigh joked.

But the next problem they encountered once reaching the shops, the place had been wiped clean.

She added: “We got out and we got to the shops but there was nothing. We got stuck twice trying to get home.”

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The glamorous days of the department store are long gone, but a handful of former mall retailers are doing what they can to hang on. Just yesterday, Sparc Group announced that it would acquire JCPenney and merge the store with its other brands, including Eddie Bauer and Brooks Brothers. The merger will create a new company called Catalyst Brands that, as CNN points out, will now "hold significant sway over the future of America’s malls."

RELATED: Nordstrom Is Closing More Stores Despite $6B Deal to Go Private.

JCPenney's troubles began in 2020.

Though department stores have struggled for many years, JCPenney's troubles became serious during the 2020 pandemic. In May of that year, the company filed for bankruptcy after 10 straight years of financial losses that accumulated to $4.5 billion, CNN reported at the time. Analysts attributed the struggles to executive leadership turnover, a failed plan to become more high-end, and consumers moving over to cheaper stores like Walmart and Target.

In Sept. 2020, mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Group acquired JCPenney from its bankruptcy for $1.75 billion. However, by 2022, the 123-year-old retailer had closed nearly 200 of its 846 locations across 40 states.

JCPenney is now merging with other former mall mainstays.

The new deal is being facilitated by Sparc, also known as Simon Properties Authentic Retail Concepts, "a strategic partnership between Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and Shein," reports The Wall Street Journal. JCPenney will merge with Sparc's other stores, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, and Nautica, as well as their "exclusive private brands," including Stafford, Arizona, and Liz Claiborne, according to a press release.

The merger will create a new umbrella company called Catalyst Brands, though JCPenney's current CEO, Marc Rosen, will remain at the helm.

"Our relationships with more than 60 million customers and the deep data we have create a compelling consumer value proposition across our brands. We can design a more personalized shopping experience, offer unified loyalty and credit card programs, and ultimately, cross-sell more effectively," Rosen said in the release. "With a clean balance sheet, we’re in great position to move forward."

Catalyst also owns Forever 21, though it is "exploring strategic options" for the brand. It recently sold the U.S. operations of the brand Reebok.

Best Life has reached out to JCPenney for more information on how the merger will directly affect existing stores, and we will update this story with their response.

RELATED: Macy’s Is Closing 65 More Stores—Here's When.

Lord & Taylor is making a comeback, too.

JCPenney isn't the only formerly bankrupt department store to announce a comeback. In December, Lord & Taylor was acquired by Regal Brands Global, who announced plans to relaunch the brand as a digital retailer this year.

As Best Life previously reported, "the new Lord & Taylor website will feature categories for designer and luxury brands, Lord & Taylor-branded merchandise, and a Gen-Z-centric shop with more affordable price points." It's still unclear if the department store will revive its physical footprint.

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