East meets West provides sustainable employment and business both locally and in India. We work with small businesses who, like us, are passionate about traditional skills and crafts in India and bring them to the Irish market.
Amanda Connell is the owner of East Meets West. With 40 years of work in the public sector in healthcare and as a well established University Educator, on paper she seems an unlikely fit for this eclectic little shop. She now brings her enthusiasm and skills in working with people and discovering new things to East meets West
It has become the focus and joy of her work life, having retired from full time university work in early 2020.
Amanda’s Journey
In October 2014 Amanda joined the business as a casual buying partner to its founder, accompanying her on a trip to India to buy products for her little shop in Schull.
She fell instantly in love with India and the ethos of the business. Over the next couple of years, while still working in senior academic appointments both in Ireland and internationally, she invested in the business and became a full business partner. When her business partner retired in 2017 Amanda took the leap and took on the business herself.
Meg’s Journey
Amanda’s daughter Meg had loved the shop in Schull for years growing up, using her part-time job wages to buy little bits while she was still in school in Schull.
Although she was living in Scotland studying History of Art at the time Amanda took over the business, she was eager to help in any way she could with the growth and development of the shop. Together they went on their first buying trip together in late 2017 and had the best time sourcing gorgeous things for the shop and from then on molding and growing the shop into what it is today.
Some images of our buying trips
