Bagpipes…Shamrocks…Thistles? I knew Glasgow wasn’t that far away, but this seems absurd!

No, I haven’t been magically transported to Dublin, Ireland. I’m at Celtic Tides on West Nelson Street, not too far from the corner of Main St. and Nelson. I recently sat down with one-half of the owners, Mary Jo Morman, and talked with her about this Celtic jewel in the middle of Lexington.

Mrs. Morman explained to me that the store opened in the spring 1998 under Ed and Jean Haggerty. Both the Haggertys were of Irish descent, and wanted to bring the spirit of Ireland to Southwestern, Virginia. Ed, a notable professor from Washington and Lee, was looking for a place to live out his dream of selling Irish goods. The pair were successful until they decided to retire in 2005. This is where the Mormans step in.

John, a native Scotsman, and Mary Jo Morman, a native Irishwoman, moved to Lexington from San Diego, California, after Mary Jo’s brother, also an Irish goods salesman, alerted them to the sale of Celtic Tides. Mary Jo told me that once they moved to Lexington, they never looked back. “You really have to come into a business with the idea that this is going to work out”, she says. “Luckily for us, it did!”

And did it ever! The new owners of Celtic Tides have been remarkably successful since taking over the business ten years ago. The shop is filled with goods, all of which, Mary Jo tells me, are either made in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or the United States. Their secret lies in their personalities and atmosphere. Mary Jo always greets customers with a smile, and is quite knowledgeable about the goods she sells. “I think we’re more in the business of education. So many people are of Irish or Scottish descent, and that’s all they know. It’s nice to have someone come in here and really learn about their heritage.” Tartans and woodcarvings from every clan in Ireland and Scotland line the walls, and Mary Jo knows the history of all of them. The store really feels like a slice of the British Isles, complete with authentic music, tea, and great apparel.

As for the future of Celtic Tides, Mary Jo smiles and says “We don’t have any plans to retire, I don’t think we’d even want to”. With plans to keep this business going strong, it looks as if Celtic Tides will have a long, prosperous life in Lexington.