Flanagan’s Celtic Corner has moved from its downtown location on East Congress to a midtown shop at 2719 E. Broadway.
A combination of things made the owner, John Flanagan, also known as Flano, decide to move his business after 5½ years.
“The streetcar changed the attitude of downtown,” he said. “It went from a place to get all kinds of businesses to a place for bars and restaurants. ... Retailers weren’t getting all the same attention.”
Parking was another deciding factor. “That’s another reason we moved,” Flanagan said. “We (now) have nine parking spaces, which is a big step up for us.”
The new shop boasts a bigger retail space — approximately 400 square feet bigger — in a former house that was converted into a business, which means more inventory for customers to peruse. The store carries a full gamut of Celtic products, from jewelry to giftware to novelty items.
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The store also offers genealogy research and travel itinerary planning services. “The goal is to be the hub for all things Celtic in the Tucson area,” said Catherine Devine, also known as Bit, who does itinerary planning for Flanagan’s.
Flanagan said there’s a big Irish and Scottish community in Tucson, so the store already had a following and has relied on word of mouth to advertise the move. Aside from the store’s regulars, the new location has brought in new people the owners hadn’t seen before.
The large landscaped backyard provides a location for events such as the Celtic Corner Christmas, taking place from 2 to 8 p.m. today. Planned activities for the event include Santa arriving in an antique fire engine, Celtic vendors and live music by local band the Out of Kilters.
Customers can get their photos with Santa in exchange for an unwrapped toy or child’s coat for donation to Toys for Tots and Gospel Rescue Mission. There will also be a donation tent for Hope Animal Shelter. Items on the shelter’s wish list can be found at hopeanimalshelter.net.