Albuquerque’s Best Celtic Shop

ClanDonnell went to one of its favorite places within one of its favorite places, on October 8, 2014. And it was during one of ClanDonnell’s favorite times.

The favorite place is the Old Town Celtic Shop. Old Town Celtic is less than a year old, but it is already New Mexico’s best Celtic shop. It specializes in Irish and Scottish imported jewelry, shirts, and assorted Celtic themed gifts. It didn’t have any books until we arrived, but it will soon carry ClanDonnell.

This was more than a typical author event. There was Irish stories, tales of yore, coffee (from the neighboring coffee shop), and food!

If you didn’t figure it out from the name of the shop, Old Town Celtic is located in Albuquerque’s Old Town. This was the center of Albuquerque from its founding in 1706 through about the time the railroads came to region. The railroad yards and depot (for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway), located south and east of Old Town, evolved into Albuquerque’s commercial and cultural center.

The growth elsewhere left Old Town largely untouched – it looks and feels much like it must have a few hundred years ago.

The Old Town Celtic event was in the middle of the nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, one of the greatest events anywhere. But the fiesta didn’t have anything planned Wednesday afternoon, so the best bet for tourists and locals was Old Town Albuquerque!

Thanks to the Albuquerque Journal for publicizing the event in its Venue: your arts and entertainment guide, and to Alibi.

Top two photographs by Linda McDonnell. Bottom photograph by Kirsten Cruz McDonnell.