“The Messages” - Stories from the essential, independent local shop within the Irish community.

“The Messages.” AKA - what you were sent to get in the local shop. Local, independent shops provide a hugely important social and community service. Our local shops have saved so many of us when a fuse blows in the night, crucial Christmas Day batteries, an urgent torch requires replacing, a wheelbarrow, the lottery ticket.. the Milk! Bread! Wine!

They provide community chat, conversation and keep corners and main streets alive. They are a lot more than the sum of their parts. As we approach the busy Christmas period - let’s give them a present and celebrate our appreciation of their important contribution to our lives.

CRAICLY is running a nationwide call for stories of “The Messages” that you have in your heads. Selected stories will then be shared on a nationwide project, on a selected evening in November, participating shops will serve some tea and sandwiches, invite some local shoppers to their space - and we will nestle down in to share the winning, selected stories.

Story Submission are now open. Shop Participation will open in August 2025.