You don't have to be Irish to know who Caron & Ed Sullivan are, but chances are if you love anything Irish, or live in the Flushing area, you know exactly who they are.

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Staples as business owners in the Genesee County area for going on 22 years, Ed & Caron own one of the few true Irish stores in the state of Michigan.  Sullivan's Irish Alley, located on Main Street in downtown Flushing, has been the place to go for everything Irish from clothing, special occasion items and even foods from Ireland. At one time Sullivan's Irish Alley was also the home to the Michael Belvitch School of Irish Dance. Belvich was a two time World Champion in Irish dance and also part of the River Dance.

Ed & Caron Sullivan
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As small business owners, the couple has felt the "pinch" of the ongoing pandemic, especially at this time of the year. They closed up shop for 89 days at the start of the pandemic just around St. Patrick's Day, a tough blow, and relied on doing home deliveries and curbside pick-up.

"We had a head start on on a lot of people since we already has a good web presence", said Ed.  "We were pushing our Irish food there before things happened. We delivered a ton of Irish bacon"

Like many small business owners, the pair wondered if they were maybe facing the end of Sullivan's Irish Alley. The couple also run a travel business that organizes two trips to Ireland a year. Both were canceled in 2020 and 2021.

"People weren't buying like they usually did for parties and events, and we wondered if it was time to call it a day, but we were able to sustain. If we closed there are a lot of people that rely on us, and our trips", said Sullivan.

Ed & Caron are being positive about what's to come, and appreciate the love and support they continue to receive from the Flushing community and customers from across the state and country.

"We are excited about our trips and getting back to our normal things like Irish Night in August for Flushing Concerts in the Park. We are ready!", Caron said.

You still have time to grab you St. Patrick's Day supplies! You can visit Sullivan's Irish Alley Monday-Saturday, or shop with them online at CelticAlley.com.

 

St. Patrick's Day Festivities

 

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