Page 5 - Sligo X North West

5
678
5The flower seller
Olga Craig
Raised on the shores of Sligo Bay, what we now call the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’, I grew up taking for granted the sea and the land- scape of the North West. It did, however, nurture in me a love of flowers and ap- preciation for the beauty of native plants and wildlife. After years in Dublin, and with a young family in tow, we now find ourselves happily back home where I have set up as a florist (theflowershed.ie) I draw inspiration and materials from the natural environment around me, which gives me
a valid reason to walk local beaches and laneways. It is truly the best of all worlds as I am surrounded by family and friends, nature, spectacular beauty and, out my window, Benbulben watching over me. I am doing what I love, in a way that allows me to live the life I want. Who could ask for anything more?
6The designer
Ashleigh Smith
As a designer and a surfer, it is the community of people in Sligo, and our incredible landscape, that makes it home for me. People here are real and warm, and also energetic and dynamically talented. The county is wild and barren in places, with harsh, gorgeous wilderness. You can stand on the New Bridge in Sligo town, and see both our mountains, Benbullben and Knocknarea, while facing the Atlan- tic. I think that’s very important, critical even, to the energy of the town. From big
5
thunderous winter skies, to the infectious banter when the sun comes out for a day in summer, there is an atmosphere unique to this town, and it’s pretty special. I believe I can grow a design-lead manufac- turing company here (atlanticequipment- project.com) making a product that I love, inspired by the place I love.
7
I started carving in 1968 here in my father’s butcher’s shop in town. I wasn’t much of a butcher mind. I did my Leav- ing Certificate at Summerhill College in 1957. The school was a priest factory; 23
of the 45 boys in my class went off to the seminaries. I always had the shapes in my head for the wood pieces. In 1988 I gave
up the meat completely and concentrated on making the pieces. The butcher’s saw and the blocks are still here and I use them everyday.Iuseashandbeechandother woods and I put linseed oil in the pieces. My customers come from all over; Amer- ica, Europe, here in Sligo. Sligo people
are very funny. They’re like goldfish. They don’t notice the bowl. I love it here.
8The storyteller
Martha Kearns
It’s almost impossible to be from Sligo and not have a love of words, reading, writing and poetry coursing through your veins. Writing was all I ever wanted to do from the moment I could pick up a pen. I followed through on these ambitions by becoming a journalist after college and working in national newspapers in Dublin until last February.
It was then I moved to Sligo with a toddler and a four-week old baby - and a idea for
a business. I returned home a different person: now a wife, a mother and a busi- nessperson.
Myself and my husband set up StoryLab, a content and PR company, and we have loved working with other professionals in the county.
Living in Sligo has given us a freedom that we hadn’t felt before. We have more time and space to enjoy a more active life as a family while also challenging our- selves professionally by owning our own business.
9The illustrator
Dan Leydon
Strandhill, Sligo is where I was educated, where I live and where I have my studio. As an illustrator I just recently noticed how much the sea comes into my artwork. In a way Strandhill feels like an extension of it, you don’t notice how large a part
of life it is, simply because of proximity.
I chose to live here because it caters to everything I need. The county has buckets of character, there’s a lot packed into a small area – think of it as the landscape of Ireland showing off. There’s mountains, sand dunes, woods, blowholes, the list goes on. You can pack your days with snorke- ling, cliff jumping, hiking, running. What’s great is the weather is barely a factor in most of these. Working for yourself is rewarding but you learn the importance
of a work/life balance, I’m lucky Sligo has offered me plenty of options for both.
9
can have a studio that allows my creativity to spread it’s wings. I am fortunate to have a big, beautiful space with a purpose-built fashion cove, exhibition space and an atmospheric 150-year-old basement. In minutes I can be shooting at a waterfall, beach, forest, mountain or lake. Com- muting to Dublin or London, I spend less time travelling a month than the average city dweller. With next day couriers, it couldn’t be easier to access any garments or accessories I require and my clients can virtually attend my shoot from their office. My creative team here includes a hairstyl- ist and make-up artist who have both won awards nationally and internationally. The talent is here, the locations are here, why would we be anywhere else?
11The Australian entrepreneur
Matt Griffiths
Although I live in Ireland these days, I wasraisedinWesternAustralia.Welove living here because there’s something for every member of the family. The coast is
a bit of a magnet for us, with the beaches being great for swimming and surfing all year round. Of course, we’ve learnt to swap sunscreen and hats for thick wetsuits and fast drives home for a warm shower, which is all part of the adventure.The key to settling in the West is of course being able to provide for your family. We run a digital business servicing the environmental needs of large industrial sites all around the world. Ten years ago business com- munications would not have been good enough to do this. We call Sligo home.
11
Continued on page 6
The wood carver
Michael Quirke
10
The fashion photographer
Suzy McCanny
Sligo isn’t the most obvious commercial base for a fashion photographer but at a closer look the logic is abundant. In Sligo, I
10
26 November 2014
Irish Independent