Paul O'Donnell first opened Celtic Treasures on 456 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs in 1992, nearly 17 years ago. With the help of his wife, Antoinette, the O'Donnells have turned Celtic Treasures into the premiere Irish imports store in the region, not to mention one of the largest sellers of its kind on the east coast. For Paul O'Donnell, the reasons for initially opening such a store were simple.
"A lifelong love of Ireland made me do it," O'Donnell said.
With over 12,000 unique items in the store, Celtic Treasures offers a wide array of Irish
merchandise.
"We pretty much import everything straight from Ireland," O'Donnell said.
From traditional Irish foods to an expansive CD collection, china crystal and jewelry (including the best-selling Claddagh rings, which are Irish friendship rings) Celtic Treasures also boasts one of the most robust online shops for Irish merchandise, with over 600 items for browsers to choose from.
"People always ask us how we are ranked so high on Google," O'Donnell said. "Well, we've been on the internet three years longer then Google. We put our website [www.celtictreasures.com] up in 1996, so it's one of the earliest e-commerce Irish sites, and probably one of the strongest."
For O'Donnell, Saint Patrick's Day (less then a week away) isn't just one day. It's the entire month.
"I think of it as an Irish pride and celebration month," O'Donnell said. "There's something like 46 million Americans who have Irish ancestry, and it's just a great time to celebrate the contributions we've made to America."
One of the ways O'Donnell will be celebrating this month is with sports' first ever official mascot, Mr. Met.
"One of the fun things we're doing on Saturday is we have a great Irish American man from sports history coming to do a book signing with us. He was the original mascot of all professional sports," O'Donnell said. "He was the little guy running around with the big baseball for a head."
Dan Reilly, the first professional mascot for the New York Mets baseball team has recently penned a book, "The Original Mr. Met Remembers," and will be appearing at Celtic Treasures on Saturday the 14th from noon until 3 p.m. for a signing.
On March 15, O'Donnell, who is a member of the local Ancient Order of Hibernians, will also be running their annual Irish Family Festival to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.
"It's a fun family event," O'Donnell said. "The unique thing about it is it's really intended for families. We like to see young kids come out to it because it's very cultural."
Held this Sunday from 3 until 7 p.m., the Irish Family Festival features live music, traditional Irish step dancers, and of course, the crowd favorite corned beef sandwiches. The event is set to be held at the Elks Club, located on Route 9 (Maple Avenue).
O'Donnell said that additionally he is looking forward to hearing Irish musician Finbar Furey, who will be playing at the Parting Glass in Saratoga on Friday night. Furey, who has made several trips to Saratoga in the past, will be making his first return appearance in several years, and is a must-see for any enthusiast.
"Everybody should come out and see Finbar Furey. He's just a great singer and a great piper," O'Donnell said.
If you're looking for that perfect Saint Patrick's Day gift for that special someone, Celtic Treasures is the place for you. While purchasing something at the store, consider having it gift wrapped, with donations going to benefit the Connor LaFrance Memorial.
"We like to adopt a different charity every couple of years. Right now our fundraising is for the Connor LaFrance Memorial, a local youth scholarship," O'Donnell said. "Connor was a great friend of ours, a young man who died in a motorcycle crash. Every time we gift wrap a present, it's a $2 donation to Connor's Memorial fund."
Celtic Treasures is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Visit them at their location on 456 Broadway in Saratoga, or on the web at www.celtictreasures.com.
With over 12,000 unique items in the store, Celtic Treasures offers a wide array of Irish
merchandise.
"We pretty much import everything straight from Ireland," O'Donnell said.
From traditional Irish foods to an expansive CD collection, china crystal and jewelry (including the best-selling Claddagh rings, which are Irish friendship rings) Celtic Treasures also boasts one of the most robust online shops for Irish merchandise, with over 600 items for browsers to choose from.
"People always ask us how we are ranked so high on Google," O'Donnell said. "Well, we've been on the internet three years longer then Google. We put our website [www.celtictreasures.com] up in 1996, so it's one of the earliest e-commerce Irish sites, and probably one of the strongest."
For O'Donnell, Saint Patrick's Day (less then a week away) isn't just one day. It's the entire month.
"I think of it as an Irish pride and celebration month," O'Donnell said. "There's something like 46 million Americans who have Irish ancestry, and it's just a great time to celebrate the contributions we've made to America."
One of the ways O'Donnell will be celebrating this month is with sports' first ever official mascot, Mr. Met.
"One of the fun things we're doing on Saturday is we have a great Irish American man from sports history coming to do a book signing with us. He was the original mascot of all professional sports," O'Donnell said. "He was the little guy running around with the big baseball for a head."
Dan Reilly, the first professional mascot for the New York Mets baseball team has recently penned a book, "The Original Mr. Met Remembers," and will be appearing at Celtic Treasures on Saturday the 14th from noon until 3 p.m. for a signing.
On March 15, O'Donnell, who is a member of the local Ancient Order of Hibernians, will also be running their annual Irish Family Festival to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.
"It's a fun family event," O'Donnell said. "The unique thing about it is it's really intended for families. We like to see young kids come out to it because it's very cultural."
Held this Sunday from 3 until 7 p.m., the Irish Family Festival features live music, traditional Irish step dancers, and of course, the crowd favorite corned beef sandwiches. The event is set to be held at the Elks Club, located on Route 9 (Maple Avenue).
O'Donnell said that additionally he is looking forward to hearing Irish musician Finbar Furey, who will be playing at the Parting Glass in Saratoga on Friday night. Furey, who has made several trips to Saratoga in the past, will be making his first return appearance in several years, and is a must-see for any enthusiast.
"Everybody should come out and see Finbar Furey. He's just a great singer and a great piper," O'Donnell said.
If you're looking for that perfect Saint Patrick's Day gift for that special someone, Celtic Treasures is the place for you. While purchasing something at the store, consider having it gift wrapped, with donations going to benefit the Connor LaFrance Memorial.
"We like to adopt a different charity every couple of years. Right now our fundraising is for the Connor LaFrance Memorial, a local youth scholarship," O'Donnell said. "Connor was a great friend of ours, a young man who died in a motorcycle crash. Every time we gift wrap a present, it's a $2 donation to Connor's Memorial fund."
Celtic Treasures is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Visit them at their location on 456 Broadway in Saratoga, or on the web at www.celtictreasures.com.
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