These are a few of my Colourful Things.....

by Donogh Moore

-Colourful Things, a new craft shop and marketplace, has opened recently on Dunlo Street. The owner, Cherry Mullins, is a Clare native originally, but is no stranger to the town of Ballinasloe. Since marrying her husband Aidan and moving to Kilconnell, Cherry has successfully held two separate Christmas Pop-Up shops on Society Street. Colourful Things offers crafters a marketplace, where they can sell, advertise, and promote their own work at a very low cost.

At present, the shop has over ten local Galway makers, with more enquiries coming in from around the country. Not only does the shop offer itself as a marketplace for other vendors, but they also give workshops on the Dunlo Street premises. There are currently workshops available on a variety of topics, such as knitting, crochet, stained glass techniques, jewellery making, applications and demonstrations of a myriad of body creams and lip balms. When the weather improves in the coming summer months, Cherry intends to offer workshops on crafting willow baskets, as well as garden art.

Colourful Things is also offering other local crafters the use of their facilities if they wish to give classes in their own chosen fields. After the success of her and her husband Aidan’s shop and garden in Kilconnell, as well as the aforementioned Christmas Pop-Ups in the town, the pair decided to take the plunge and open a retail and craft shop in Ballinasloe on a permanent basis. They pride themselves in being able to offer a selling space for local handmade goods, and believe their shop complements not only the other retailers on Dunlo Street, but in the town as a whole. She believes that the various local retailers have brightened the town, and brought it back to life.

In the future, Cherry is hoping to expand her business, and believes the town offers her the capacity to do so. She believes her time spent in craft markets, tearooms and retail shops over the years have offered her a vast amount of experience when it comes to knowing what consumers want from a craft and retail shop. That, paired with the availability of on-street parking, and access to a wide network of other colourful businesses in the town makes Cherry hopeful for the future.

​For the time being, she hopes that local customers will come in and browse the varied collection that Colourful Things has to offer, as well as using the facilities for their own artistry. To contact Colourful things, call Cherry on (086) 192 1923, or find them on Facebook at: Colourful Things Gift Shop. The store is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am to 5pm.