One of our special, simple treats is a visit to the Schull Country Market in West Cork on Sunday mornings, which runs from April until September each year from 10 in the morning until 2pm.
The market isn’t very large, with about 14 stall holders selling their wares including everything from jewellery, art, games, soaps, candles, skincare products, coffee and tasty treats. There is a simple criteria for this market whereby the stall holders must manufacture 80% of what they sell.
When the weather is on your side (and even if it isn’t!) we park near the cemetery on the Colla Road that overlooks the harbour. We bring the two dogs for a walk on a little circuit, through the cemetery, down to the shore watching the boats and people swimming and then on the path that leads you back to the quayside and the market nearby.
A cup of coffee, some cheeses, fresh bread and tasty treats are bought for lunch and there is always time to browse the stalls at the market.
The atmosphere is always very relaxing as people in holiday mode mull around and I always say if you could bottle the special atmosphere at the market you would make a fortune.
On one particular sunny Sunday morning the lovely woman at the Little Red Skincare stall spotted our two dogs dragging me in different directions as Dee was trying to buy something. She gave me a bright sympathetic smile, I made some comment about the gorgeous day and she said something about much she loved being there. Somehow I knew she did.
Dee was delighted with her purchases and I couldn’t stop thinking about the very friendly woman who had served us with her warm smile and that really happy aura. What was her story I wondered, and maybe she might make an interesting podcast guest?
A quick search on Mr Google a few days later brought me to the website, a request to come on the podcast and gladly, Fiona Burke accepted my invitation.
Not only was Fiona the founder and owner of Little Red Skincare, but as usual she came with a really interesting story. Our simple conversation about her very special business opened up into a number of areas I wasn’t at all expecting.
She chatted about her early life as the daughter of the local policeman in Ennis, being bullied out of her job as an engineer by someone who felt that wasn’t the place for a woman and this leading to an unplanned life of a successful entrepreneur selling cheese at various markets around Cork.
The cheese business evolved into Little Red Skincare, an organically certified business that can be purchased online, in various stockists, or even better, in person from Fiona at Bantry, Skibbereen and Schull markets.
She also chatted about some big personal changes that she has made recently and how she has cracked the code of this thing we call life!
If you would like to listen to Fiona’s story on the Win Happy podcast click here and even better pop down to Schull in West Cork on a Sunday morning and meet her in person!
Greg
Greg Canty is the Managing Partner of Fuzion, a Brand Communications Agency in Ireland with offices in Dublin and Cork.
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