Saturday, February 21, 2015

Liz sets up shop in Kilcullen



From handling the logistics of a workforce of 400 men on the Corrib gas project to setting up a gifts and flowers shop on Kilcullen's Main Street sounds like a long journey, but for Liz Curran Downes it's actually quite a short distance from her home area of Milltown, writes Brian Byrne.

Although to some extent, she has come about it in an even more circuitous way, via several visits over recent years to family in Australia. To be able to do that, she worked exceptionally long hours on her previous job.

"But now they've come back, and they're living in Kildare, so I don't have the reason to work so hard to be able to go and see them, and anyway to get the same kind of work that I had in Belmullet, I'd have to travel abroad myself."

'Easy Living Gifts & Flowers' was thought by some to be merely a pop-up shop for Valentines weekend when Liz opened her doors a couple of weeks ago. But it isn't, she's here for the long haul.

"I'd been looking at Caragh or Kilcullen, and a friend advised Kilcullen and especially this end of town," she says. "A key thing was that I wouldn't be competing directly with anyone else."

Well, there's always crossover in small retail business, but the 'Easy Living' operation has a number of individual items in gifts for men and women that make it worth a browse for those on such an errand. Jewellery and cosmetics are part of her stock in trade, too, and in addition to fresh flowers she also has a range of silk artifical ones.

There's a big selection of cards, and party items, trinkets and things that you mightn't think of looking for but be glad you found them when you did.

Most of all, though, it's really nice to see another shop open in town. Let's all do our best to help keep it here. Remember the truism, keep your town in business by keeping your business in town.

Welcome, Liz.