Today marked the start of our focus on learning Irish history and customs before we leave this Sunday! This morning was the midterm for our Managing in Complex Environments class, and the rest of that class will be our work in Ireland as consultants for the town of Carrigart. So, these last couple of days we’re going to be entirely focused on preparing for the transition to Ireland. We started by going to the Irish Design Center in Pittsburgh!

The Irish Design Center is owned by Dr. Tom Petrone and his wife Maura. We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Petrone about many of the items in the store. While he himself is an Italian, he travels to Ireland so frequently he currently has two offers on the table to live there! Almost everything in the store is made in Ireland, or with Irish materials. What isn’t is made in an authentically Irish style by Irish-owned companies. What was most unique about the experience was just how much Petrone knew about each and every item in the store. Each item has a story about how Petrone personally met the people who make the item by hand in Ireland, or how he connects to a local Irish bakery for authentic Irish sweets. For example, he told us about how each piece of jewelry with a green stone in it was made from Connemara Marble, a special type of marble only found in Ireland that comes in a huge variety of green shades. Each item’s story makes each have a special connection to Irish history and heritage. This can help make a shop like this successful by appealing to people who enjoy sentimental items, souvenirs, and supporting authentic businesses in Ireland that still practice old traditions.

However, this can lead to many challenges with stores like the Irish Design Center. The biggest issue is expenses. Wholesale prices for the items before being sold will already be very expensive due to the advanced, non-automated methods used in their creation. This is helped partially by people like Petrone having personal connections with businesses by travelling to Ireland, but has recently been significantly hit by increased shipping costs and competition with mass-produced items from other countries. Still, I believe that the Irish Design Center will have continued success under the ownership of Dr. Tom Petrone. His energy brings such a great feel to the store and it fits in perfectly with Pittsburgh.