A small shop with a big story
Castlemartyr House has a unique display of artists and crafts people exhibiting their fine work from Ireland and other parts of the world
Castlemartyr House Gallery and Gifts has everything you’re looking for. Whilst the term gallery might imply solely fancy paintings, this one is different. Set in a lovely Georgian-style house in the Heritage village of Castlemartyr this isn’t just a shop, it’s an experience. “It’s a very relaxed gallery, just the way we wanted it”, said owner, Orla McGovern.Â
With huge importance on shopping locally, it’s hard to know where to start. But if you’re looking for a gift, an interior accessory, or even a treat for yourself, Castlemartyr House has it all in price ranges to suit all pockets.
Sixty percent of its produce is sourced locally or from all different corners of Ireland, whilst the rest come from all around the world, “myself and my sister, Fionnuala always talked about opening an arts and crafts shop. Wherever we went in Ireland we’d always bring back something crafty with us”, she recalled.
But sadly, Fionnuala didn’t get the chance to share their dream. When she passed Orla took some needed time off. The two sisters started off by opening a holistic clinic together but now it was time for Orla to do it for the team and start the journey of their dream on her own. “With all the thought and energy that went into this idea, I had to make it happen,” Orla said.
Orla has had her gallery open for 3 years now but like many small businesses, it has seen its struggles during the pandemic. “We’re opening and closing. At first, we accepted it, it was initially just 6 weeks off. Then we had to close again leading up to Christmas. With every trade, you have your peaks and we missed all the vital weekends. There was a big loss there. We opened for the summer of 2020 and the number of people shopping locally was tremendous, everyone did it. We had people coming in from Waterford, the East coast, passersby, we have a big catchment. But with shutting down again, it makes things feel so uncertain,” Orla said.
But like she had done before, Orla found a way to make it happen. Since the pandemic she has had to transition her business, “It’s pushed me to put the shop online and it's given us time to expand. I can keep suppliers going and now we can get back on track, we can keep changing and updating our stock”.
It’s certainly not just a business for Orla either, of course, it’s her and her sisters dream brought to life but her suppliers have become was she has called friends that she feels she has known for years, “Each and every one of them is so lovely to deal with,” she said.
While changing the clinic into a gallery seemed like a crazy idea to some, Orla has never looked back, “I wouldn’t change a thing, we’ve had a great three years.” And while keeping the shop stocked up has its benefits, her partner Tommy and son Luke have their reservations, “It’s great the way it has grown but my partner Tommy and son Luke often give out to me about it being a bit cluttered!” she laughed.
To order online visit www.castlemartyrhousegallerygifts.ie
