The Gab Of The Gift

Isobel 10APR21

ard to believe it was only three years ago already that we first bumped into Isobel O’Donnell.

At the time, the paint was still wet on the door of her new Greystones adventure, sitting snugly and oblivious next door to The Bitter Lemon.

Having established quite a name for itself in Dun Laoghaire, Lorient Gift was a natural fit for Greystones, where we like our treats a little on the unique and downright quirky side.

Which may explain why there are so many exotic food trucks pulling into town.

Having come to the conclusion that working ridiculous hours for herself rather than for someone else would make a lot more sense, running Lorient has been something of a labour of lunacy for Isobel. But, hey, she loves it. Despite all these lockdowns.

“I pretty much knew from the very first day that I opened, six years ago, that I had made the right decision,” she says on this almost-sunny Saturday afternoon. “Here I was, with a shop that I would love to have a rummage around in. So, I knew that pretty much everyone walking through that door would be someone I could relate to. And have a little fun with.”

That people from as far away as Kuala Lumpur have walked through that trademark green Lorient door – thanks to a Trip Advisor thumbs up – means that Isobel is plainly doing something right.

As part of our From There To Here origins series, we decided to find out just how Ms O’Donnell turned her small but perfectly-formed dream into a reality…

You can check out Lorient Gift’s website here, follow on Facebook here, Instagram here, Twitter here and Pinterest here., or get in touch on 012874665 or [email protected].