From Belfast to Bundoran - A tale of two Teresa’s

Teresa O’Neill has lived in Bundoran with her family since the Noughties, but even going back to her childhood, it was a holiday heaven from her then abode of Belfast where she grew up. In many ways, she and her family always felt Donegal was ‘home’.

She was 15 years old by the time she moved south permanently, attending school in Ballyshannon at Colaiste Cholmcille.

She went there for a couple of years but then gravitated towards the nearby Youthreach before later finding a position at Bundoran Community Centre.

ABOVE: Teresa with her Mum Anne Marie at the Craft Fair in Creevy just before Christmas

Reflecting on her childhood she said:

“I would have lived near the interface beside the peace wall in Belfast. Our widows were broke every weekend, our house was petrol bombed and paint bombed and stuff like that. But we had a caravan in Bundoran and that is what drew us here and Dad had a holiday home in Station Road in Ballyshannon.

“The Troubles (in Belfast) stopped but then it started again so around 2004 we moved here with my mum and dad and brother, but he passed away seven years ago.”

The house is a calmer affair these days but the three dogs there now keep everyone on their feet.

As a young person growing up under the constant pressure of living so close to the naked sectarianism that abounded, it did take its toll on Teresa, one that took years to get to grips with and overcome.

“I have suffered very badly with social anxiety all my life and for a long period of my life I didn’t do anything other than counselling and I couldn’t leave the house and things like that.”

Those that know Teresa in her current role may be surprised by that revelation, but she is happy to talk about it.

She went on to state that the chronic anxiety, at its very worst, when she lived up the Ross in Bundoran, was awful.

“I was stuck in the house for two years, I could not leave the house at all, I was that bad with social anxiety," she explained.

ABOVE: One of Teresa's many earring creations

Looking back, she now believes that she was suffering Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but help including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT and other counselling “got me out”.

She is now a big advocate of such help and recommends anyone who feels they may be in a similar situation, to reach out and get that help.

Moving forward to 2017 Teresa was offered a job at the Bundoran Community Centre initially on the TUS programme, the centre wanted her to stay on, which she did through the CE scheme as a Receptionist and more recently as an Administrator there, through the Community Services Programme (CSP) since 2020.

“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” she said with great sincerity.

And that would be a great story in itself, but Teresa wanted more challenges in terms of her own creativity.

And that is where ‘Teresa Marie Handmade’ came from.

Teresa explained: “I was always creative and loved art and different stuff like that. Whenever I first left Youthreach, I went on a course in jewellery making, but did nothing with it until 2020 when Covid came in.

“And with the anxiety getting bad again and all the equipment in the loft, I took it all down and started to make jewellery. It was all earrings at first and then I put it on Facebook and everyone around me started buying. And really it went from there.

“Then I made anxiety bracelets, for adults and kids, that would be a bracelet with chakra beads on it, with lava beads and a bottle of lavender oil.”

Teresa also works with crystals and wire wrap them into hairbands and I have them on ket rings. This had also branched out into hairbands for weddings, like jewelled hair bands and sun catchers.

So after Covid and the huge success of ‘Teresa Marie Handmade’, she called in an old group of friends at the Community Centre which included two other ladies that had started businesses as herself.

After a think tank and exploration initiative, they all felt that they needed a place where they could all collaborate together as crafters.

ABOVE: Some of the 'Teresa Marie Handmade' jewellery at one of the main fairs that she attends throughout the north west

“We could go online, we could chat where to get the best products, the cheapest delivered and all of that stuff and so ‘Handmade in Bundoran’ was created. That started also in 2020 with Zoom calls with different crafters after putting out a call and even got one from Germany, who was interested in moving here”.

That market then opened in 2021 and the following year they realised they needed a bigger venue and got together with Linda in the Kicking Donkey.

The interest was such from outside the area including Stranhill and further up the country that they expanded the name to ‘Handmade in Bundoran & Beyond’.

They moved back to the local Community Centre last year, and they host a far the first weekend of the month

“And we have so much interest ranging from candles to a Brazilian lady who does food for us. Anyone can book in, but because I am working full time and trying to run my own business, the market will be held once every two months.”

Teresa says it can be a hard graft, trying to balance all this, but is still delighted that she embarked on the trail of creativity:

“It is hard work, especially when you are just one person and you are trying to do it all. I do have some help from two crafters, but sometimes I have 30 crafters for the whole weekend and I have to set up for them and take down the tables,”

Teresa Marie Handmade is on Facebook, Instagram and available through Etsy, the latter is the best option, as you can buy direct from here.

As for the future, it has now become bright and promising and her goals include getting into more shops like the Wishing Chair and another, Arcanum craft shop in Donegal Town, where she already sells some of her craft.

Her story is one of great fortitude and resilience, not alone overcoming personal obstacles along her life’s path, but turning them on their head and looking forward to the future with a mountain of talent, positivity and determination.

No doubt, it will not be the last we hear of Teresa . . . . pop into the next fair at the Community Centre next weekend, as part of the Bundoran Feile na mBan festival, if you are curious about her creations.