Chic Carmel invites you to the smallest art gallery in Ireland (probably...)
IT received plaudits and compliments galore for its stunning Fleadh-inspired window display, but Chic Marilyn in West Street, Drogheda can now claim to house the smallest art gallery in the country!
It might be tiny, but you’ll get a huge welcome if you drop in, and this miniature oasis of calm is displaying international artwork from the 17th century to modern day.
Owner Carmel Crawford says she knew she had to do something special in the shop, given 35b West Street is the oldest property in the town.
“Or so I’m told...” she says with a smile.
“When I bought it a year ago, I was told it was built in 1800, and was a private residence with a shop downstairs. There was an elderly woman who owned for decades, and up until recently, it had all the original features, including Victorian bath tubs!”
Indeed, one of the first things you’ll spot as you make your way to the tiny gallery is an original fireplace, which blends perfectly with the tantalising antiques it surrounds.
“I opened the shop around a year ago and had been using the back space as a store-room, but I knew I could use it for something better,” says Carmel, an art restorer, who is originally from Belfast.
“So, I cleared it out, and hung some of my best pieces of art on the wall, and I love it, and I’m inviting people in now to just come and enjoy it too.”
Of course, unlike the National Gallery of Ireland, everything is for sale, and there is a vast array to choose from.
“I have pieces including a 17th century portrait, a Belle Epoque delight and a water colour cottage from Kerry,” she says.
“But I have a man who comes in every time he is on the town and he just stands in the gallery for a few minutes. He says is like a cave of calm, and it sets him up for the rest of the day.”
Carmel has had a varied past, owning galleries in Enniskerry and Dalkey, before moving to the Algarve to sell property.
“But I am in Drogheda 14 years now and I love it,” says Carmel, who now lives in the Chord Road.
“People are so friendly and accepting, and even though not everyone might want to buy when they come, they are more than welcome to just enjoy the peace and quiet.”
She just doesn’t expect them to remember her real name!
“Everyone thinks my name is Marilyn, like the name of the shop,” she laughs.
“But that’s okay, I’m happy to let them think that!”
Carmel’s new website is www. chicmarilyn.com and you can find her on facebook.