Female solidarity is good for business as close-knit group of Bandon entrepreneurs show
A group of busy working women in Bandon with different — but complementary — businesses speak to ahead of International Women’s Day
There’s a health shop in Bandon that is home to several enterprises, all of them run by women. A vegetarian cafe is nestled on the ground floor, and upstairs you can practise yoga, knit or learn to knit, as well as view and buy art and other natural, health-inspired products. All different businesses — and yet complementary because the women who run them support rather than compete against each other.
Bandon has seen a huge amount of development take place over the last few years and the population has almost doubled, but the town — widely known as a gateway to West Cork while being an easy commute from the city and the airport — still manages to retain a tight community spirit.
And it’s that sense of community that helps small businesses — particularly less mainstream ones — not just survive, but thrive in challenging times. With women at the helm of these enterprises, the role of female solidarity should not be underestimated.
Mary Wedel runs An Tobairín Health Food Shop (antobairin.ie) which began life as an off-mainstreet, off-mainstream whole food retail experiment in the town.
However, local people quickly embraced the project and now the shop in Station Road has taken on an entirely new life with visitors travelling from all over.
Mary says: “Mostly it’s a place where people come to broaden their knowledge of health-giving foods and natural remedies.
It is a place that draws those intent on taking the best care they possibly can of their families and themselves.
Danni’s cafe is located on the same floor as the health shop. Danni Dickson has been operating there for a year and has plans to grow her own produce which she can then serve to customers.
“I first started working in the shop first but Mary overheard that I’d always wanted to run my own cafe and now here we are,” explains Danni. “We offer something different — I don’t do sandwiches. I have a small menu, two savoury choices and three sweet. I look at the ingredients every day and then decide the menu. It’s all vegetarian and gluten-free. Health is a big thing — people have all sorts of intolerances and we cater for that.”
Lucy Finnegan has been running the Yarn Loft wool shop (yarnloft.ie) upstairs at An Tobairin for the past three years — offering classes and workshops, expert tuition and bespoke knits. The mum-of-four, who has studied embroidery and fashion, always had an interest in knitting and found there was a gap in the market for good quality wool and natural fibres.
When I meet Lucy, she’s in the midst of a knitting session with four other regulars, and there’s plenty of chat and banter. A couple of them are working on Aran sweaters, which Lucy says are really coming back in vogue.
“We have a great laugh here — anyone who comes here, comes back,” she says. “We even do classes for kids, aged 6-18 and they love it. We run intergenerational projects with grandparents and the kids and it’s fantastic — gets them off their phones!
It’s going back to basics — knitting is a very undervalued and underrated skill.
Anna Roycroft swapped a background in office management for a very different line of work. Her business, Home Art Textile — HAT (instagram.com@annaroycroft) is also housed within the building, consisting of handmade gifts, goods and reusables made from natural and recycled materials. For her, it’s all about shopping small, shopping independent, and supporting local. Products include homemade sanitary products, soap savers, and reusable face pads for make-up removal.
“There is so much waste in society and we are made to feel we have to have everything,” Anna says.
“To simplify things is cheaper in the long run.”
Her long-term aim is to provide workshops in schools, educating young minds about the waste factor.
It’s about conscious consumption. Think about a product — where does it come from, what is the impact on the environment, do I need it?
The female solidarity doesn’t end there. Tania Murphy hosts yoga classes upstairs from the café, in the intimate and unique loft space of the shop (facebook.com/Bandon-Yoga), while contemporary artist Eilbhe Donovan who runs her own studio (sevenheadsstudio) also hosts workshops and art classes and displays some of her work here.
Originally from Greystones, she says Cork has been interwoven in her life for over 20 years. The bond she has with the other businesswomen is clear. “We support each other — it’s a real creative hub,” she says.
Lucy agrees: “We all met here through knitting lessons and we have formed a real bond. Mary (who runs the health food shop) has been a godmother to us all. It’s a great vibe with great women who support each other — and that’s something that’s hard to find.”
