Triona is celebrating 10 years in Donegal Town with a customer appreciation event

As Triona marks its tenth anniversary in Donegal Town, there is much to celebrate for the Mulhern family and their loyal customers. 

And the team are looking forward to welcoming customers to an appreciation event on July 18.

From tapping deep into the well of history and heritage to being one of only ten brands to be selected for inaugural Irish Fashion Week later this year, Triona is a leading light in the Irish fashion industry. While sustainability is something of a buzzword nowadays, this has long been a natural part of the Triona way of working. 

Kieran Mulhern says: “A lot of global brands are facing the challenge of trying to move towards a more sustainable way of operating.

“Our products have been 100% natural, durable, and sustainable from day one.”

Triona opened its first store in Ardara in 1984. But the family’s connection with Donegal tweed goes back much further. 

“When Triona was started in Ardara, it was located on the same premises as the old mart which was built in 1912 as the weaving hall in Ardara,” says Kieran. “It would have once housed about 60 weavers.”

One such craftsman is Connell Gavigan who started weaving at 16 years of age. Now 82, he remains part of the Triona team.

Kieran’s grandfather began weaving from his home in Ardara in the 1930s, making samples for the old mart.

And in the late 1960s Kieran’s father Denis worked as a weaver in the old mart.

However, things changed in the 1970s as the handweaving industry hit a challenging period. Much of the work was taken over by powerlooms, and the area was also hit by a wave of emigration.

Among those to make the move to London was Denis Mulhern, who got married but then made the decision to move back home.

“He wanted to go into the industry again so he started Triona in the same premises that he worked as a young man,” says Kieran.

The Triona brand was born, and has since become synonymous with Donegal tweed thanks to the commitment of the Mulhern family to preserving the traditional skills but ensuring that they had a relevance in the modern world.

In 1992, the Ardara premises was approved by Bord  Fáilte (now Fáilte Ireland) as the Donegal Tweed Visitor Centre. 

“It continues to this day to welcome visitors who can come and meet the crafter making Donegal tweed,” says Kieran. 

“It is usually my father or Connell (pictured) or one of the apprentice weavers at work.”

Part of the facility includes a replica of the weaver’s cottage in which Denis grew up, as well as the retail store so that the customer can enjoy the full experience from carding to spinning to weaving to finished product. 

With the Ardara store having very much found its identity, the family began to think about expanding, and when premises became available at the edge of the Diamond in Donegal Town, it felt right.

“Donegal Town is known as a hub in the north west, getting visitors from all over the world,” says Kieran. “It’s great accommodation offering includes the only five-star hotel in Donegal.

“And so in 2015 when the premises became available, we opened our second location.”

Initially known as Irish House, it was decided after a few years in business to simplify and unify the brand, and so it was renamed Triona. 

The family are delighted with how well they have been received in Donegal Town. 

“It has a great design for visitors to walk around,” says Kieran, “and we appreciate how welcoming the businesses have been. Everybody works in harmony and there is a great ambience about Donegal Town.”

As well as featuring Triona’s own collections, the Donegal Town shop  also stocks a carefully curated collection of other Irish brands. Among them is Kilcar knitwear company Fisherman Out Of Ireland, with Triona being its main stockist in County Donegal.

“When it comes to knitwear they, like ourselves, have the expertise and quality, giving customers that longevity while being modern and relatable,” says Kieran. 

As well as serving customers in their Donegal stores, there is also a growing interest from international customers shopping online, particularly from the US and Canada. 

And one customer in particular has helped showcase Triona’s exceptional quality and design. 

Kieran recalls: “In the summer of 2022 we had our most famous visitor in Sarah Jessica Parker, a global star and famous fashion icon who is known to have her cottage in Kilcar which she comes to every year.

“She stopped by the store one afternoon and had a great chat with my sister Catriona who runs the store here. 

“She was particularly taken with the Faye trenchcoat, and she left the store with the coat. To respect her privacy we didn’t ask her for a photograph.

“Fast forward six months later, next thing the phone was hopping with people telling us that the coat was seen on the streets of New York. Sarah Jessica Parker was filming the new season of And Just Like That. 

“A photo of her wearing the coat went viral. The Faye coat sold out overnight due to the popularity of it. So much so that customers refer to it as the Sarah Jessica Parker coat. 

“And six months later when the show aired on tv, we sold out of the coat again. 

“We got a great reaction from that.”

Sarah Jessica Parker is one of just many customers who appreciate the blend of tradition and design, and the team at Triona are keen to meet the needs of all their customers. 

Tweed, says Kieran, is the essence of what Triona does as a brand. 

“We have the balance of heritage in the fabrics but we maintain relatable designs; the timeless pieces rather than following trends,” he explains.

This solid ethos and foundation is being further built upon with Triona’s new collection of Irish linens.

Known for autumn- winterwear, Triona wanted  a collection created for lighter fabrics for its customers to wear in the warmer seasons.

“With Ireland having such a great linen heritage, it was the right fit for us,” says Kieran. 

“Myself and our designer Emma Quinn visited the  Milan textile and fabric fair. While we were on the stand of one of the Irish linen brands Spence Bryson, Paul Costello was there too. Spence Bryson is selling Irish linen to all the big fashion houses. 

“For us it works well.”

One of only ten brands to be selected for the inaugural Irish Fashion Week in October, Triona is certainly hitting the right notes. 

Run by Galway native Ashley McDonnell, Irish Fashion Week will run over seven days in different locations around the country. 

Meanwhile the team remains focused on ensuring that visitors to its Ardara and Donegal Town stores have a memorable experience. 

If Donegal has a heartbeat, it is the comforting clack of the loom. Its rhythm has woven its way into our music, dance, our language, and even our very pace of life. And Triona’s master weavers are happy to pass on this skill that comes from deep within them to the next generation 

“We have a few young people here in the shop that have picked it up very well,” said Kieran. 

“You know by the sound of a weaver if they are good. 

“Experienced weavers could nearly tell you who is weaving by the sound of it.” 

Ensuring a positive experience for everyone who walks through the doors of the shop is very important to the Mulhern family. 

“The visitor to Ireland doesn’t come for the weather, they come for its history and heritage and hospitality, and we pride ourselves on not just being a retail store but giving visitors the Donegal warmth which they greatly appreciate. 

“They learn about Donegal tweed, and it's all done with a smile and genuine sincerity that Donegal people are known for. 

“Personality comes across because they are interested in people and are great story tellers. Visitors can see all the great sights but it is really the people who stand out and make the difference.  We have people who come in who have visited Ardara 20 years ago and they ask about Mum and Dad. 

“When they come back after five or ten years or more and still remember their visit, those things are quite special.”

Kieran is very appreciative of  Triona's staff, saying: “We have a great team in both Ardara and Donegal Town that are part of the family.” 

He is looking forward to celebrating customers at the appreciation evening on Friday, July 18 from 5pm to 7pm.   

Among the guests of honour is Mayor of Donegal Town Anna Gallagher, who Kieran describes as a valued customer, someone who celebrates all that is great about Donegal, and who  brings people together in the most positive way, an ethos that matches that of the team at Triona.