|
|
Über Tinneys
www.tinneys-irish-shop.com went online for the first time on Tuesday 21st January 2003. It complements three retail outlets in Neuenstadt which is also our mail order base, Heilbronn and Heidelberg and it came about in the following way: Customer comes into shop oohs and aahs his/her way around it. Gets into conversation with myself or one of the staff and ends the conversation with the standard question: "Where is there a shop like this near us?" Well how often do you think we were stuck for an answer? Now had you come from Chicago we could have pointed you to something similar, but coming from Berlin, Tokyo or Papua New Guinea ? Shrugging shoulders and friendly good-byes were the sum things. Until we decided to put an end to the disappointment by going online!
The whole project came together when I met Kieran Given, a fellow Irish man, living in Germany and who happened to hail from the same corner of Ireland as myself. We discovered quickly that we were on the same wave length and Kieran never short of an idea or two, soon knocked the site together. (by the way his brother was Ireland's goalkeeper in the world cup, Shay Given)
We are based in Neuenstadt, a small Schäbisch town in Württemberg, south west Germany. It has a great location: within a two to three hours drive you can be in France, or Switzerland. The brain behind the base is Ulrike Müller, who heads up the small team who will look after you in the best possible manner.
Tinney's Irish Shop whether in the virtual or brick and mortar world, is about a way of life, a kind of Irishness which is peculiar to Joseph M. Tinney. This I know sounds like purest egocentricity but it's not really. It is about my own unique understanding of "Irishness" and "Irish Shop". If you drop in from time to time and we get to know each other then you will undoubtedly learn more about this. I hope so.
|
|
|
|
|
