The door at 13 Church opened to customers 9 April 2016 for the very first time. Until then Good Craic Gifts and Souvenirs had been a dream in my heart and a pop up shop down at An Cuan during the Fiddlers Green Festival.
I was very lucky to get a great location in Church St. There was a lot of work to be done converting it from a house to a shop but lots of friends and family jumped in to help. Joab Vos brought loads of knowledge and creativity. It felt like the renovation took forever but finally things were nearly ready and again friends stepped up to get the job done.
The night before opening a group of us gathered to put stock on the shelves. My mum was over from Australia for the big occasion. With no retail experience at all I was ever so grateful for advice from friends and local artists. I remember one friend stuck her head in the door and seeing how much we had left to do she left and came back shortly after with a bottle of wine. It took a team and it still does. Good Craic exists to serve the community of Rostrevor and visitors who come here. I am privileged to be the owner but with out all the artists and customers it would be boring. With the doors closed for now I have plenty of time to reflect with gratitude on the many who have helped along the way. Thank you to Shelagh, Flo and Susan who all help teach me about window displays and hanging artwork. Thanks to Pete and Angela and others who have kept the shop open when I couldn't be there. Thanks to mum who invested in my dream and helped make it a reality. Thank you to everyone who brings coffee, ice creams, scones or just pops in to see how I am doing. The shop has given me a platform to get to know this community better and to get involved in the Mourne Tourism scene. No one business makes a destination but Good Craic is one strand in the rich Mourne area. I look forward to many more years of working together with others to showcase our area. For now lets stay home, stay safe and dream of the adventures yet to come!