Laois wool shop closes after 33 years in tight-knit community

After 33 years in business in Portlaoise, Laois woman Kathleen Carroll will close the doors on her wool shop for the final time. 

Ms Carroll first opened her wool shop in Laois Shopping Centre shortly after it opened, and is ready to enjoy her retirement.

"Before I started here, one of the local politicians had a constituency office here, there was an election the year that I opened," Ms Carroll explained.  

"When I opened first, I worked for a few years for singer sewing machines. I decided I would give the wool shop a try and opened first in the shopping centre," she said.

Pictured: Kathleen Carroll in her Wool Shop.

"I eventually got the shop I'm in now, and I'm happy out here. It seems to suit the craft industry, you don't ned a huge space, and it's quite quaint looking," she said.

"It has character. I did enjoy it running this business, I had originally said I would give it five years. That just continued on, it's hard to believe I'm at 33 years now," Ms Carroll said.

Ms Carroll has three children, one whom helped her in the shop on Saturday mornings while he was in school.

"My eldest is 48, m second son is 44 and my daughter is 42," Ms Carroll said.

Pictured: a selection of craft items and knitted creations for sale in Ms Carroll's wool shop.

"They were teenagers when I first opened. My son Ray used to work on a Saturday morning all the old ladies loved him!" she laughed.

"Some would think he wouldn't know what he was talking about, but he did because he was interested! The other two would laugh, they had much better to do," Ms Carroll laughed.

Pictured: Ms Kathleen Carroll outside of her Wool Shop.

"The years did slip by very fast. I'm glad and sad at the same time that I'm retiring. I've been talking about it for the last year, and my sisters would say to me, you're talking about it and talking about it, are you going to stay at it forever? I made up me mind then," said Ms Carroll. 

"Unfortunately I have no one to hand the business down to, which is a shame. I would love to leave it in someone's capable hands, I would come in and do the odd day if they were ever stuck," she said.

Pictured: Kathleen Carroll

"I hope to have more time to travel, I could have all this in my mind and not travel at all!" she laughed.

Get to Kathleen Carroll's Wool Shop on Bull Lane in Portlaoise for high quality goods. We wish the very best of luck to Kathleen in her retirement.