Strabane BID Newsletter Issue 2 JUL20

Newsletter 

ISSUE 2 | JULY 2020 

Flann O’Brien trail puts Strabane 

on the literary tourism map 

STRABANE can look forward to 

welcoming a whole new breed 

of visitor when a Flann O’Brian 

literary trail is launched later this 

year on the writer’s birthday in 

October. 

One of the town’s most famous 

sons, Flann O’Brien, was born 

Brian O’Nolan in Strabane in 1911. 

A playwright, novelist, journalist 

and satirist, he was also known 

under another pen name, Myles 

na Gopaleen. He ranks among 

Ireland’s 20th century literary 

greats and is considered a leading 

figure in modernist and postmodern 

literature. 

The author’s mother, Agnes 

Gormley, was a native of Strabane 

and the young Brian, along with 

his 11 siblings, were based in the 

town while his father’s work as 

a customs officer meant many 

relocations before the entire family 

eventually settled in Dublin. 

Now, as part of a wider literary 

tourism programme, Strabane will 

literally be put on the map, thanks 

to g5,000 funding secured by BID 

through an EU INTERREG NPAsupported 

project called ‘Spot-lit.’ 

(www.spot-lit.eu). 

Jacqui Doherty, Manager of the 

Alley Theatre, is now working on 

the project as part of BID’s Arts 

and Culture Sub Committee. 

Jacqui stated, “We have been 

attending ongoing mentoring 

workshops with spot-lit and 

engaging with other successful 

applicants. It is hoped to develop 

a working group with a number 

of Flann O’Brien experts in the 

development of the Flann O’Brien 

project which we hope to launch 

on the 5th October on the day 

of Flann O’Brien’s birthday. The 

development of a literary festival 

has the potential to become a very 

significant cultural tourism product 

for Strabane as Flann O’Brien is 

a literary figure of international 

renown and his birth place 

originates within the Bowling 

Green Square of Strabane Town. 

Connections will be explored and 

exploited through music, drama, 

heritage and discussion. Given the 

international stature and profile of 

Flann O’Brien, it is envisaged that 

the Flann O’Brien Literary project 

could become one of international 

significance if properly nurtured 

and supported. As such it would 

provide a welcome boost to the 

economy and profile of Strabane 

Town placing Strabane on the 

literary tourism map as is seen 

in Enniskillen with the Samuel 

Beckett Festival and the Brian 

Friel Festival in Donegal. 

A key element of the project 

is providing an opportunity for 

participating businesses to 

expand their entrepreneurial 

capacity and achieve greater 

market reach through the 

increased number of visitors to the 

area. 

It’s anticipated that the spin-off 

benefits to the local economy 

will include stimulation of new 

business, enabling growth 

within existing businesses, and 

encouraging businesses not 

traditionally engaged in cultural 

tourism to provide complementary 

services and products. 

As part of the local programme, 

there will be a series of monthly 

engagement workshops, learning 

journeys, business advice clinics 

and individual mentoring supports 

available to interested businesses 

in Strabane. 

Following the launch in the 

autumn, the project is expected to 

take place in Spring 2021.

Mayor visits businesses in 

Derry and Strabane 

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane 

District Council Brian Tierney 

visited local businesses in both 

Derry and Strabane to hear how 

they are dealing with operating 

during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Mayor Tierney spoke with owners 

and staff across a number of 

businesses in the hospitality and 

retail sector about their feelings, 

and their concerns, moving 

forward. 

“I was pleased to meet as many 

business people as possible to 

hear about the measures they 

have put in place and what 

their thoughts are as they try to 

navigate a very difficult period,” 

said Mayor Tierney. 

“The last three months have 

brought a lot of uncertainty for our 

local businesses, and it was great 

to see so many more able to open 

up, and it was also encouraging 

to see so many people in both 

Derry and Strabane coming out to 

support those businesses in a safe 

way.” 

“Understandably, many businesses 

still have concerns and I wanted 

to reassure them that myself and 

Council are here to assist them.” 

“I would ask people within our 

district to please support our local 

businesses as we all move forward 

together.” 

Any businesses seeking 

guidance can call Council’s 

Business team on 02871253253 

or visit www.derrystrabane. 

com/coronavirus 

2 BID inStrabane Newsletter

Dock Street has all you need! 

If you’ve got a job to do, then 

you’ve got to go to Dock Street to 

stock up on all your hardware and 

workwear supplies. 

Whatever the job, big or small, 

indoors or out, domestic, trade 

or agricultural, the locally owned 

businesses on this Strabane 

street can help you find what you 

want or offer advice and words of 

wisdom. With that personal touch, 

you’ll find the staff are always 

prepared to go the extra mile to 

ensure their customers get exactly 

what they’re looking for. 

Old-fashioned values and service, 

but with state-of-the-art facilities 

and up-to-the-minute stock 

competitively priced, you’ll not 

find better anywhere else. 

Among them is Mahon’s 

Engineering and Hire, which can 

trace its history back more than 

80 years. Founded by J.T. Mahon 

in 1937, it is still a family firm with 

all the high standards you would 

expect. 

Terry Mahon said: “We’re well 

known for stocking the very hardto-find 

and special components 

that serve agricultural, mechanical 

and industrial customers. General 

hardware is also stocked.” 

“We have a massive customer 

base that extends to all of 

Tyrone, Derry and Donegal. Our 

staff are very well trained and 

friendly, customer service is our 

priority. Our key cutting service is 

premier and we take pride in the 

equipment that we have invested 

in to make sure it maintains our 

high standard. This has been 

steadily changing, especially the 

technology in car key cutting and 

programming, as well as CCTV.” 

While Mahon’s has more than 

eight decades of experience, 

another Dock Street establishment 

has been trading for just over 

one year, but the effort and 

enthusiasm that 24-year-old 

Neeraj Sharma has brought to 

Tradesman NI since he opened 

in June 2019 means he has only 

gone from strength to strength in 

his hardware and workwear store. 

You’ve got to have the right gear 

for doing those all important jobs! 

Neeraj said: “What makes 

Tradesman NI stand out is the vast 

number of high quality brands that 

everyone loves under the one roof, 

at extremely competitive prices. 

This is the thing that surprises our 

customers the most when visiting 

the store. It really is a one-stopshop 

for any tradesman and this 

is why our store in Strabane is 

a great place to shop. We can 

guarantee unbeatable prices 

compared to surrounding areas.” 

“We pride ourselves on 

outstanding customer service 

which is why our customers 

always return. They know they 

will be well looked after and that 

we have their best interests and 

needs in mind.” 

Another well known name on 

Dock Street is Gibson Agri Ltd. 

Set up by William Gibson in 

2006 as a sister company to 

his business in Co Donegal, it 

stocks coal, gas, animal feed, 

animal medicines, dog food, 

workwear, work footwear, general 

light hardware & tools, fireside 

accessories, fencing materials, 

grass seeds and lawn seeds, 

drainage pipes and farm toys to 

name a few. 

Elaine from Gibson Agri Ltd said: 

“Coal sales form an important part 

of our business, and we stock a 

range of animal feeds for cattle, 

sheep and horses, we are a UFAS 

and DAERA approved supplier.” 

“Farm toys are a recent addition 

to our product range while our 

footwear and clothing lines are 

particularly successful, with 

popular brands at competitive 

prices.” 

“Our store is very large and 

customers are still finding new 

and undiscovered items around 

the shop, if they take the time to 

browse around.” 

“Our staff are very helpful, and 

have a wide knowledge of the 

products in store.” 

With such dependable, local 

knowledge, and any item required 

to hand, why shop anywhere other 

than Dock Street, Strabane for all 

your hardware supplies as well as 

so much more. 

ISSUE 2 | July 2020 3

Support local with the gift 

(card) that keeps on giving! 

‘Shop local’ is a more fitting 

mantra than ever before now that 

Strabane businesses have begun 

to reopen after the lockdown 

brought about by the coronavirus 

crisis. 

Its impact is immeasurable but 

there’s no doubt that it’s vitally 

important business owners in the 

town get support and one of the 

best ways can be through the 

InStrabane gift card. 

Now going into its third year, 

they are ideal not only as 

individual gifts for hard-to-buyfor 

friends and family, but also as 

a company scheme, whether for 

staff incentives, customer loyalty 

rewards or supplier presents. 

They can be used in more than 

70 businesses about Strabane, 

making them suitable for anyone 

to receive and ensuring money 

is being reinvested in the local 

economy. 

Frylite has signed up for the third 

year in a row to purchase gift 

cards for staff and suppliers 

Eamon McCay, Managing Director 

of Frylite, said: “Making bulk 

purchases of the Strabane Gift 

Card is a win-win for everyone. 

Gift cards are always popular 

presents and as these will be 

redeemed in Strabane shops, 

the local economy will be given a 

boost too.” 

“As a bulk purchaser, we make 

a saving which is a bonus, and 

we know we’re doing our bit by 

supporting local jobs and shops. 

When the money stays in the 

Strabane area, it’s to the benefit of 

everybody in both the immediate 

and long-term. 

“We previously handed out the 

gift cards to staff at Christmas. 

Our employees work so hard 

throughout the year, we wanted 

to find a way to say thank you. 

The InStrabane gift card was the 

perfect option for us because it 

allowed us to accommodate all 

of our staff while also ensuring 

we were helping fellow local 

businesses in Strabane by putting 

money back into the economy. 

“Frylite is committed to the 

continued growth and success of 

Strabane, so we’re delighted to 

continue our involvement with this 

initiative.” 

Corporate purchases can attract 

a bulk discount, with 3% discount 

on £1,000 - £5,000, 4% discount 

on £5,001 - £10,000 and 5% 

discount on £10,001or more. 

The inStrabane Gift Card is 

easy to use. It looks just like a 

normal credit or debit card, with 

a card number, signature strip 

and inStrabane branding. It’s 

prepaid in amounts ranging from 

£5 to £200 so customers avoid 

using cash which is very much 

encouraged at this time. 

Kevin O’Connor from Derry City 

and Strabane District Council, 

said: “It’s brilliant to see Frylite 

supporting this gift card scheme 

for another year. The cards are 

so versatile that they make a 

perfect option for both the general 

public and businesses. As well 

as individual gifts, they can be 

used by business owners as 

staff rewards or incentives, or as 

customer loyalty rewards. Given 

the wide range of participating 

outlets, anyone who receives one 

can be guaranteed they’ll find 

something special to spend it on.” 

For a full list of participating 

retailers or to purchase an 

InStrabane gift card online, visit: 

www.instrabanegiftcard.com 

or contact the Alley Theatre, 

Supervalu, Café Fresco or 

O’Neills Sportswear. 

Top Ten Businesses in which GiftCards have been used 

SUPERVALU, ARGOS, BEJEWELED@SOUL, O’NEILLS, MENARYS, CAFFÉ FRESCO, DV8, 

MEDICARE STRABANE, MURPHYS ON THE GREEN, BOOTS 


Charitable Trust rewards local 

volunteers for Covid-19 response 

Local volunteers in the Strabane 

area who have been devoting 

their time to helping the local 

community during the COVID19 

pandemic will be rewarded for 

their efforts by a local charity. 

The Kathleen Graham Trust 

today handed over £4,450 of 

Strabane Gift Card Vouchers to be 

presented to 89 local volunteers 

in recognition of their tireless work 

helping others through the crisis. 


Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, 

will attend a special reception 

on August 4 for the volunteers 

and added his praise to the 

major community effort that 

was sparked in response to the 

pandemic. Hundreds mobilized to 

support the work of community 

organisations and charities in the 

area, helping to deliver vital aid to 

those in need. 

Thanking the Trust for their 

ongoing support of the community 

response, and the gift card 

rewards for volunteers, Cllr 

Tierney said: “The Kathleen 

Graham Trust has been extremely 

active in supporting a wide range 

of community initiatives right 

across the Strabane, Sion Mills 

and Castlederg areas throughout 

the crisis. 

“This donation of gift cards 

to local volunteers is another 

wonderful gesture and much 

deserved by the volunteers who 

will receive them. It’s a fitting way 

to support local businesses by 

investing the money back into the 

local economy via the Strabane 

gift card scheme.” 

Vice Chair of the BID group 

leading on the Strabane Giftcard 

scheme, Michael Kelly, said: “We 

are delighted that the Kathleen 

Graham Trust has chosen to 

support local and acknowledge 

the work of our volunteers by 

further supporting the Strabane 

community. This means the 

recipients can spend their rewards 

at a wide range of local stores, 

so the gesture is giving back to 

the community on a number of 

levels.” 

Caroline Clarke is a Trustee with 

the newly established charitable 

group, which aims to support 

positive initiatives and individual 

enterprises of merit in the wider 

Strabane area. She explained 

more about some of the work the 

Kathleen Graham Trust has been 

contributing to in recent months. 

“We had been hoping to launch 

the charity in May but with 

Coronavirus that was put on hold 

unfortunately,” she explained. “But 

we have been working behind 

the scenes with local community 

representatives and groups, as 

well as Derry City and Strabane 

District Council, to distribute 

support for some of the wonderful 

projects that have been offering 

essential aid during the pandemic. 

“It’s been very humbling to 

see how proactive the local 

community has been in 

responding to this crisis, the many 

creative and selfless ways that 

people have reached out to help 

others. And it’s been so rewarding 

to see how donations from the 

charity have had such a big 

impact and how these groups can 

make the money go such a long 

way in helping people. 

“We’ve been so inspired by 

the work being done on the 

ground that the Trust wanted to 

acknowledge the contribution of 

the local volunteers who have had 

such an essential role in recent 

months. “The Strabane Gift Card 

scheme offered the perfect way 

to reward local people and also 

support local business. I’m a 

strong believer in contributing to 

the local economy where possible 

and shopping local, especially at a 

time when many businesses have 

been impacted by Covid19. 


Strabane businesses reward 

the town’s unsung heroes 

STRABANE businesses have 

given a warm glow to the local 

heroes of the coronavirus crisis 

by sponsoring £100 Strabane gift 

cards as a way to say thank you 

to those who have given most 

during this challenging time. 

Local people showed their 

support for the lockdown initiative 

by making nominations online 

for the many worthy winners. 

Each week, one was chosen at 

random for their acts of kindness 

or community spirit, with their 

£100 Strabane gift card provided 

by one of the town’s generous 

business owners. 

Elaine Griffin was the first week’s 

winner with the prize sponsored 

by MK’s Bar. Elaine provides 

complex care for seriously ill 

patients as an ICU nurse. Andrea 

Gillespie, a full-time care worker, 

was the second winner with her 

prize sponsored by Craft Training. 

Teresa Stewart received a prize 

sponsored by O’Neills Sportswear. 

Tribute was paid to Teresa for 

always putting others first, not just 

during lockdown, but at all times. 

Brian McNamee was praised 

for all his hard work at Springhill 

Youth Club supporting local 

young people, particularly during 

all the changes brought about 

by the pandemic. His prize was 

sponsored by Subway. 

Lynn Maguire, the winner of 

the gift card sponsored by 

Dolan’s Nisa, was hailed for her 

dedication to the community of 

Fountain Street, ‘always putting 

herself forward for everything 

and anything needed for the 

community’. 

Mark McDermott from Vivo 

in Ballycolman, who won one 

of the gift cards, once again 

sponsored by Craft Training, was 

recognised for going ‘above and 

beyond providing meals for the 

community’ and ‘loads more’. 

Keira Breslin was a deserving 

winner of the prize sponsored 

by Masala. Keira ‘managed with 

a brave smile and a look to the 

future’ despite having to postpone 

her wedding, her daughter’s First 

Holy Communion and her son’s 

Confirmation, while carrying 

out her care work, studying 

for her degree in nursing and 

homeschooling her three children! 

Toiresa O Cuaig won the prize 

sponsored by Caffe Milano for 

spreading joy and happiness 

wherever she goes in Strabane, 

while Jean Mullen deserved a 

treat, sponsored by My Local 

Ordering App, for raising £1000 

for local charities by making fairy 

gardens – despite having been 

through stage four cancer. 

‘Unsung hero’ Roisin McGlinchey 

was the winner of a gift card 

sponsored by the Strabane 

Chronicle, for giving her time and 

her heart to various charity efforts 

around the town, while Sinead 

McDermott was awarded the prize 

sponsored by Talk Shalk for her 

work on the frontline as a nurse 

in Altnagelvin Hospital during 

the pandemic – and still smiling 

through everything. Our second 

last Hero to be announced was 

Amanda Cook who won a gift card 

sponsored by Murphy’s on the 

Green for her work as a carer. 

With our final Hero to be 

announced next week, kindly 

sponsored by Oysters Restaurant, 

the Strabane Hero campaign has 

been a resounding success. This 

campaign further highlights the 

caring side of the town’s business 

owners who value their local 

communities and the individuals 

within them who make a real 

difference to the lives of those 

around them, even in the midst 

of a global pandemic. There’s no 

shortage of civic pride around 

Strabane these days! 


Resilient Strabane 

Strabane BID is celebrating all 

the local stories of resilience 

and success! We want to hear 

from business owners and 

retailers in the town who can tell 

others of how they’ve operated 

during these difficult days – 

demonstrating their creativity, 

innovation and dedication - and 

how we can all do our bit for 

one another by buying from 

local businesses to give them 

the boost they need to bounce 

back. If you would like to feature 

in this new regular slot on 

‘Resilient Strabane’, please get 

in touch at: info@bidinstrabane. 

com 

First up is Label Menswear. 

Established in September 2015 

by business partners Gary 

Winters and Stephen Moore, 

the future is unknown, but Gary 

is optimistic that independent 

retailers can adapt and weather 

any uncertainties ahead 

with support from the local 

community as well as online 

sales: 

We closed up the week of St 

Patrick’s Day. Initially, for the first 

two or three weeks, we didn’t 

do anything. We already had a 

website, so we started to do a bit 

online, for our heads as much as 

anything, to keep ourselves going. 

We kept the website ticking over 

but expected to be back in the 

shop in a few weeks… 

We reopened on June 12. The 

first couple of weeks were very 

good but it’s now coming into 

line with what it would usually be 

like. I don’t know what it’s going 

to be like in the long term, there 

has to be a massive ripple in the 

economy, it will be an interesting 

and no doubt challenging six to 12 

months ahead. 

We’ll have been open for five 

years in September. We stock a 

lot of the big name brands, our 

target market would start around 

16-year-olds but we aim to cater 

for all age groups with a mix of 

brands. We also do a lot of suits 

and wedding parties, but that 

side of the business has been 

decimated this year. 

Before lockdown, our online 

sales were ok, but it really jumpstarted 

them. People were sat at 

home, they had a bit of money, 

so they looked online. Our 

spring-summer delivery landed 

in March just before we closed 

so we were fully stocked and the 

weather was good. Lockdown 

has definitely given us more of a 

presence online. About 95% of 

online orders were local which 

was interesting to see. People 

were going through us rather than 

the brands’ own websites. I think 

even before lockdown we were 

starting to see a trend of people 

supporting independent retailers 

and that may have now speeded 

up, people are more focused 

on spending locally in their own 

towns. 

We are always trying to be 

optimistic. The people that weren’t 

able to get married this year will 

look to get married next year, so 

it could turn out to be a bumper 

year and we can just write off 

2020. Until there’s a vaccine, this 

is the new normal, but it doesn’t 

have to be negative. 

Strabane has never really seen the 

benefit of any boom, it’s always 

been under the radar, so maybe 

the impact of the lockdown will 

impact us less. But if we do get a 

hit, I have no doubt that we will be 

able to adapt and get on with it. 

There are now more than 70 

local businesses including 

LABEL MENSWEAR involved 

in the inStrabane Gift Card 

scheme so it couldn’t be easier 

to shop local and give your 

support by purchasing a card 

for a family member or friend’s 

birthday, exam results or just as 

a little unexpected surprise! 

It can be used to buy both 

luxuries and essentials, making 

it an ideal present for a person 

of any age or with any interest 

and it will be doing a huge 

amount to bolster the local 

economy and keep Strabane 

town centre hustling and 

bustling. 


Strabane town set for 

‘MonsterHero Safari’ 

Strabane BID is sponsoring a 

family fun ‘MonsterHero Safari’ 

in Strabane town centre, raising 

money for the NHS and giving 

families a safe reason to return 

into Strabane town. 

Launching on Friday July 31st and 

running until Tuesday September 

8th, families and households in 

Strabane will be invited to search 

the streets for ten cute and 

colourful MonsterHeroes. 

Using only smartphones, the 

Safari allows you to learn each 

of the MonsterHeroes’ names, 

stories, and superpowers. Once 

all ten MonsterHeroes are found, 

a free e-book that tells the story 

of their first team-up will be 

unlocked. 

There is a nominal platform cost 

of £2 per family taking part with 

the first 25 families going free, all 

further voluntary donations will 

go to the NHS Charities Together 

organisation – which supports 

over 230 NHS charities across the 

UK. 

The Safari works by utilising 

contactless NFC technology and 

QR codes, without the need for 

players to download or sign up to 

anything - they simply need to tap 

or scan to play. 

Over 100 BIDs and councils 

across the UK are taking part in 

the MonsterHero Safari project, 

which has been sponsored by 

Wild in Art, with the aim of raising 

over £100k for NHS Charities 

Together. 


District Council, Cllr Brian Tierney, 

said he was looking forward to 

seeing the safari in action. 

“This is a really positive and 

uplifting initiative sponsored by 

the Strabane BID team which will 

assist both the local public and 

local businesses as we continue 

to move forward, as well as the 

added bonus of helping out the 

NHS through charitable donations. 

“We have seen Strabane town 

slowly return to some sense of 

normality recently, and projects 

like this certainly aid that. 

“Adults can feel safe knowing 

that all guidelines and health 

and safety measures are being 

followed, and the kids can enjoy 

something different and fun while 

getting outside. 

“I’m looking forward to taking part 

myself!” 

Chair of Strabane BID and 

O’Neill’s Managing Director, Kieran 

Kennedy, said businesses would 

benefit from an innovative and 

positive way to bring people back 

into the town centre. 

“Everyone has been hugely 

supportive of the reopening 

process over the last number of 

weeks, but it is still, of course, an 

ongoing process. 

“The MonsterHero Safari is 

something different and exciting 

that will keep the kids entertained 

and will help the adults feel more 

comfortable and safe. 

“It will be fantastic and 

encouraging for our local 

businesses also to see increasing 

footfall coming through their 

doors.” 

Project co-ordinator Martin 

Blackwell, former CEO of ATCM 

and the Charity Retail Association, 

said: “When I heard about the 

concept it just resonated with me 

and I knew I had to support it. I 

loved the idea of heroes; the idea 

of a ‘safari on the high street!’ 

“I just thought, if something fun 

like this can help make families 

feel good about going back out 

onto the high street and raise 

money for such a worthy cause 

then let’s go for it.” 

To learn more about the 

story-trail please go to www. 

monsterherosafari.com

Strabane BID Newsletter Issue 2 JUL20

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