We have been fans of 'The Shopkeepers' website (and Instagram account) for many years. Basically, it's a listing of inspiring shops from around the world, beautifully phographed and with stories and backgrounds for each. The Shopkeepers is to shops what the Michelin Guide is to restaurants. Their scouts seem to find whatever new shops spring up, or whatever existing shops deserve to be known. So, what an honour and surprise to see our Clare Street shop listed as one of '2021 Best New Shops'.
We have to admit, opening a shop in Dublin city centre in the middle of a pandemic was a complicated and sometimes lonely task. The streets were deserted and our minds looked forward to better days and backwards to the long history of shops, and the essential part they play in a living city. With talk of the collapse of cities, the end of retail, and the relentless rise of online shopping, we wanted to demonstrate our belief in 'real' shops. As we look into 2022, hardly daring to be optimistic about such a troubled world, we are nonethless happy and grateful.
