Brother and sister at heart of community

THE FORECOURT at the centre of the devastating Donegal blast was the hub of a tiny rural community: a shop, a petrol station, a meeting place and a thriving local business that was recently refurbished.

With a full grocery offering including a deli, ATM, bakery, offlicence and forecourt, the busy Creeslough outlet meant people in the village didn’t have to travel to nearby Letterkenny for supplies.

The family-run business, owned by siblings Annette and Danny Lafferty, has long been a big part of the tight-knit community.

The family has been involved with the shop for decades and the pair learned the trade from their father, Danny Sr.

‘I started working in the shop after school from the age of 10, so shops are all I know,’ Ms Lafferty recently told ShelfLife Magazine.

‘I know all the customers and the craic would be good. It was always the plan for me that I would take over from my dad. This shop has been trading under the management of my dad from the early ’70s and now the baton has been handed over to myself and Danny.’

Ms Lafferty works in the post office next door, which was run by her aunt until she retired in May. She told the magazine she knows all the customers by their first names and enjoys the work.

‘It’s something different. I really enjoy it and we know most of the customers by their first names as soon as they come in. It’s seen as a hub of the local community.’

Local journalist Eamonn McFadden yesterday told RTÉ’s The Business show how people visit the shop regularly, sometimes several times a day.

‘You might meet your friend or your neighbour going down to the shop and you might stand chatting for a minute. You’d know the staff, you’d know the family, It’s that kind of place, it’s a country place,’ he said.