Tish Giroux is proud of her heritage and has surrounded herself with visible signs of that pride.
“I’m of Irish and Scottish descent and I’ve always loved my roots and where I come from,” says Tish Giroux who grew up on a dairy farm in Donegal near Eganville, Ontario.
For the past 37 years Tish has lived in Lanark County where she and her husband, Gerald, have raised their three sons.
“I had always entertained the notion of opening my own business, but whenever I talked about it, people thought I was crazy,” recalls Tish. “Over time, however, I talked about it so much that my husband finally said: ‘OK put your money with your mouth is.’”
So in April 2009 Tish did just that when she took the plunge and opened the Irish-Scot-Tish Shop in downtown Perth.
“With the recession, I heard a lot of negatives, but my husband was right, it was time for me to jump in and get my feet wet,” she explains. “I decided to start small and see what happens.”
Drawn by the things she loved, Tish stocked a selection of Celtic-themed music and jewelry, Aran jumpers (sweaters), wool blankets, tartan ties, dishes, rugby shirts, Irish caps, some clothing for the wee ones and more, much of which she sourced in Ireland and Scotland.
