To fully understand what has become the Rathwood phenomenon you have to realise what it all started from. Patrick and Carmel Keogh were small farmers, making ends meet by selling potatoes and working part time for a farm accountancy service. They felt there was no future in farming for them or their young family. They needed an alternative source of income.
After years of researching different types of enterprises and a lot of soul searching, they finally fixed on the idea of a self-contained gift and furniture shop and garden centre.
Patrick and Carmel wanted to set up a shop at home, home being on a country road, three miles from the nearest town of Tullow. To succeed they would have to stock a range of goods that were different from anywhere else. They believed that people would travel for goods and services, which were of a high quality and standard. They transformed their 3,500 sq ft potato shed into a 10,000sq ft shopping emporium with 15 acres of land to show off furniture, gifts, gazebos, garden sheds, pots and plants. So on the 3rd April 1994, Rathwood came into being.Over the years Patrick and Carmel developed their business to include their family and community. The family re-vamped the shop several times over the seventeen years. Demand dictated that expansion was necessary. 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space was added. A function room was included in the project to cater for business customers, private functions and tourism groups. Upgrades to the existing restaurant area included the addition of hot lunches, salad buffet, deli and bakery. The revamp has increased seating capacity to 300, spanning the restaurant, meeting room and outdoor seating area.
Rathwood started off employing 2 people in 1994 and are now employing 55. External upgrades increased the parking area from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet, trebling the number of car parking spaces on offer to visitors and giving coaches ample room to park and turn. An animal park, forest walks, Train rides and children’s play garden add to the exciting and different activities that visitors can take part in. A neighbour turned his hobby into a business and opened a Falconry and Birds of Prey Centre at Rathwood in 2009.
In 2011 Rathwood was awarded as a Failte Ireland Visitor Information point. The company has won many awards over the years – Customer Service, People of the Year, Top 50 Companies in Ireland, Best Store, Santa Award. Today, Rathwood is the premier Centre in the region with a truly unique visitor offering with gift shop, garden centre, furniture and interiors shop, restaurant and outdoor activities.
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