Peter Mark
Peter Mark is an Irish hairdressing and salon chain founded by brothers Peter and Mark Keaveney in 1961.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Peter Mark is an Irish hairdressing chain established in June 1961 by brothers Peter and Mark Keaveney. The business began with a salon on the first floor of 87 Grafton Street in Dublin, placing it in one of Ireland’s best-known retail and fashion locations. It expanded within Grafton Street with a second salon at number 72 in 1964, followed by a third location at Stillorgan Shopping Centre in 1966. The company later broadened its service model and customer base. In 1970 it opened its first unisex salon on North Earl Street in Dublin, reflecting the wider development of unisex hairdressing in Ireland. In 1971 Peter Mark opened its first training school, making vocational education and workforce development a central part of its operating model. The company runs its own hairdressing training schools and recruits approximately 100 apprentices each year into a three-year training programme. Peter Mark developed from a small Dublin salon business into a national Irish chain. By 1989 it had approximately 50 salons across the island of Ireland. The reference material reports 69 salons by 2025, indicating continued operation and a substantial nationwide footprint. Its core business remains professional hairdressing delivered through salon locations, supported by training, apprenticeships and the development of in-house staff. The business has remained associated with the Keaveney family. Public reference material describes it as still being operated by members of that family, although it does not identify a complete current ownership structure or current executive roster. Peter Mark is therefore best understood as a family-operated Irish salon brand rather than a publicly listed consumer-goods company. The chain faced operational pressure during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic, it increased prices and closed one branch. The available material does not provide the affected branch, the precise timing, the size of the price changes or detailed financial results. It does report that profits increased in 2019, before the pandemic disruption, but no financial amount is supplied. Peter Mark’s enduring positioning is based on accessible, professionally delivered hairdressing through a broad Irish salon network, combined with structured training and apprenticeship programmes.
History
Peter Mark was founded in June 1961 in Dublin by brothers Peter and Mark Keaveney. Its first salon occupied the first floor of 87 Grafton Street, establishing the business in a prominent central-Dublin shopping district. Expansion followed within a few years: a second Grafton Street salon opened at 72 Grafton Street in 1964, and a third location opened at Stillorgan Shopping Centre in 1966. The company continued to develop its format during the 1970s. In 1970 it opened its first unisex salon on North Earl Street in Dublin. The following year, in 1971, it established its first training school. This training infrastructure became an important part of the brand’s identity and operating model, allowing Peter Mark to cultivate hairdressing skills internally rather than relying only on external recruitment. Over the following decades Peter Mark expanded beyond its original Dublin base into a chain serving customers across the island of Ireland. By 1989 it had 50 salons. The available reference material records 69 salons by 2025, showing that the business remained active and retained a substantial physical presence. It also operates its own hairdresser training schools and recruits about 100 apprentices annually for a three-year programme. The company has continued to be operated by members of the Keaveney family. The available sources do not specify a formal parent company, public listing, current chief executive or detailed corporate ownership arrangements. Peter Mark is consequently documented primarily as a family-operated Irish hairdressing chain. In business terms, the chain has combined salon expansion with workforce development. Its locations provide hairdressing and styling services, while its schools and apprenticeship programme support the supply of trained personnel. The brand’s history also reflects changes in the sector, including the adoption of a unisex salon format in the early 1970s. The business reported increased profits in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic subsequently affected operations, after which Peter Mark raised prices and closed one branch. The available material does not provide the financial scale of the changes, identify the closed location or give a precise date for the branch closure. Despite those adjustments, the chain remained active and was reported to have 69 salons by 2025.
- 2025
Network reported at 69 salons
[1]The business is reported to have grown to 69 salons by 2025.
- 2019
Profits increase
[1]Reference material reports increased profits for the year, without providing a financial amount.
- 1989
Network reaches 50 salons
[1]The chain is reported to have 50 salons across the island of Ireland.
- 1971
First training school opens
[1]Peter Mark establishes its first hairdressing training school.
- 1970
First unisex salon opens
[1]The company opens its first unisex salon on North Earl Street in Dublin.
- 1966
Stillorgan location opens
[1]Peter Mark opens a third salon at Stillorgan Shopping Centre.
- 1964
Second Grafton Street salon opens
[1]The company expands its Dublin presence with a second salon at 72 Grafton Street.
- 1961
Peter Mark is founded in Dublin
[1]Brothers Peter and Mark Keaveney establish Peter Mark in June 1961, opening the first salon on the first floor of 87 Grafton Street.
Products and positioning
A long-established Irish hairdressing chain combining a nationwide salon network with in-house training and apprenticeship programmes.
Hairdressing services · 1961
Peter Mark salon services
The core Peter Mark offering is professional hairdressing delivered through its Irish salon network. The available reference identifies the business as a hairdressing chain and specifically records its development of unisex salons. Individual service menus, treatment ranges and pricing are not specified in the supplied material.
Professional education · 1971
Peter Mark training schools
Peter Mark operates its own hairdresser training schools, first introduced in 1971. The schools support the company’s internal skills pipeline and complement its salon business. The supplied reference does not specify the curriculum, qualifications or locations of the schools.
Apprenticeship training
Peter Mark apprenticeship programme
The company recruits approximately 100 apprentices each year into a three-year hairdressing training programme. The programme is a recurring workforce-development offering associated with Peter Mark’s salon operations, although the supplied material does not provide its detailed entry requirements or certification structure.
Brand decisions
- Post-pandemic price increasePrice change
Background
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Mark adjusted its operating model in response to changed business conditions.
Action taken
The chain increased prices for its services.
Aftermath
The source also reports that one branch was closed after the pandemic, but it does not provide the branch name, exact date or financial impact of either decision.
- Post-pandemic branch closureStrategy
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic was followed by operational changes within the salon chain.
Action taken
Peter Mark closed one branch after the pandemic.
Aftermath
The chain continued operating and was reported to have 69 salons by 2025. The specific closed branch is not identified in the available material.
Recent events
- 2025
Peter Mark reaches 69 salons across Ireland[1]
Other
Reference material states that the chain had grown to 69 salons by 2025.
- 2019
Peter Mark reports increased profits in 2019[1]
Other
Reference material reports that Peter Mark's profits increased in 2019. No profit amount or detailed financial statement is provided.
Peter Mark raises prices and closes one branch after the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Pricing · Other
Following the pandemic, the chain increased prices and closed one salon branch. The available reference does not identify the branch or quantify the price changes.
Sources1 sources
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