As 2017 draws to a close, and we begin a new chapter and new year in 2018, we wanted to look back on the past 12 months and reflect on some of our favourite moments of the year.
So here it is - our Top 10 McElhinneys Magic Moments of 2017...
- A huge honour as we are nominated for a CIPD HR Award
McElhinneys has been selected as a finalist in the CIPD Ireland HR Awards 2018. We have been announced as a finalist in the Organisational Development / Learning & Development category for "The McElhinney Way", a strategic initiative, which has acted as a catalyst for organisational development through transformational change and learning.
It is a huge honour to be nominated, and McElhinneys is competing against some other great companies in their category, including Bank of Ireland, the Road Safety Authority of Ireland, Ulster Bank, Zendesk and Zurich Insurance – not an easy win by any means! These prestigious awards recognise excellence in HR, celebrating outstanding achievement in people management and development, and the winner will be announced early in 2018 – so fingers crossed for a great start to 2018!
.CIPD HR Awards 2018
- Our wonderful Christmas Shopping Day 2017 and our Big Winner of €1000
Our Annual Christmas Shopping Day took place on December 5th and saw an entire day of festive cheer, massive discounts and fabulous gift ideas! We also had a huge giveaway, one lucky winner would win a massive €1000 gift card, and that winner was Catriona Harrold. She was presented with the gift card on Saturday the 23rd of December by John & Martin McElhinney!
Catriona Harold and Family being presented with the Gift Voucher by John & Martin McElhinney
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- Daniel O’Donnell & Jason Quigley – the best dressed men in Donegal (and around the world) thanks to McElhinneys!
McElhinneys are delighted to support two amazing Donegal icons – Daniel O’Donnell and Jason Quigley – as their personal stylists we have the honour of dressing these amazing men for public appearances and events to make sure they are looking dapper! Jason has been flying the flag for Ireland in Los Angeles since his move in 2014, and is currently unbeaten and holding the NABF Middleweight Title since March 2017! Daniel O’Donnell, a man who really needs no introduction, is an internationally recognised country singer who, after 3 decades of success, is not slowing down!
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Jason Quigley wearing Herbie & Frog from McElhinneys & Daniel O'Donnell in-store on the 23rd December
- The McElhinneys family has been Growing – in more ways than one!
We have had an amazing year of celebration and good news as many staff members tied the knot and celebrated their weddings. Many others welcomed little bundles of joy into our ever-growing McElhinneys extended family! It’s been a fabulous year of joy and celebration and we look forward to another uplifting year in 2018!
New Arrivals and Weddings Galore!
- The Katie Hannah range has been evolving and growing
The McElhinneys own brand, Katie Hannah, was launched late in 2016 as a new venture for the store, selling Candles and Reed Diffusers. The range has since expanded this year to include soaps, room spray, jams and chutneys – and we have a lot more planned for the coming months and years!
The Katie Hannah range was named in remembrance and celebration of the late mothers of John & Eileen McElhinney, and is inspired by the colours and scents of nature and the great outdoors that Donegal has to offer.
Check out the full range of Katie Hannah here: https://goo.gl/R4oxQF
The Katie Hannah Range by McElhinneys
- Expanding into New Horizons with our New Office
The McElhinneys online store was launched in 2012, and with the web and online services now a huge part of the business 5 years later, a huge extension has been added to McElhinneys to accommodate this growth in online services and of course our warehouse team! The expansion was a huge €2.3 million investment, and the store now covers a whopping 100,000 sq. ft. McElhinneys knows the value of investment, especially in people, employing almost 200 people - onwards and upwards for 2018!
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The Iconic Building that is McElhinneys Department Store in Ballybofey
- Majella O’Donnell helps Cancer Survivors find their perfect fit in McElhinneys
Majella O’Donnell visited McElhinneys Lingerie section on the 26th of October for an empowering and uplifting charity event, in aid of Cancer Care West, and to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. She spoke of her own journey through Cancer – treatment and life afterwards – and spoke with each attendee personally and warmly and had comforting words to share, “It’s tough but it’s doable”. The lingerie team in McElhinneys are always on hand to help women with a prosthesis fitting service, which is private, confidential and extremely personal for each individual, and any woman can be fitted for bras and even swimwear.
Gabrielle's Diary covered the event, you can read all about it & see more photos here: https://goo.gl/PbpzPs
Photo Credit: Gabrielle's Diary - Majella O’Donnell with the Lingerie Team
- Our very own Sandra Devenney wins Manager of the Year Award 2018
Sandra scooped the big win as the overall Manager of the Year 2018 at the Retail Excellence Awards Ceremony in Killarney on the 11th November, which is one of the most prestigious events in the Irish Retail Calendar. She attributed the win to the great team here in McElhinneys who are always 110% behind her and support each other through everything – “That’s been my secret – I care so much about that team. Each and every one of them”.
More on Sandra and her big win, here: https://goo.gl/yiMyRx
Sandra being presented with the Award on the Night!
- Our Annual Christmas Window Unveiling – bigger and better than ever!
One of the most highly anticipated events of the McElhinneys Year is always our Christmas Window Unveiling – and this year was the best one yet! Hundreds of people crowded the store and the streets of Ballybofey, bringing the town to a standstill on the 19th of November for us to reveal the windows, and this years’ theme ‘The Nutcracker’. It was a fabulous all-day free family event, and we are always blown away by the huge support of the community here in the North-West.
More on the Window Unveiling here: https://goo.gl/qL9MR6
One of the beautiful Christmas Window unveiled on the day!
- So Sue says ‘I DO’ as a beautiful McElhinneys Bride
Ireland’s most stylish and successful blogger, Suzanne Jackson, celebrated her wedding day on the 5th August 2017 and we are incredibly proud that she was a McElhinneys Bride! Suzanne, known as So Sue Me, blew her guests away in a bespoke gown as she sailed down the aisle to marry her best friend Dylan O’Connor. Sue told VIP Magazine, “I went dress shopping last December to a couple of boutiques and the moment I walked into McElhinneys in Donegal I knew I was going to get my dress there. I have never seen a bridal shop like it, it’s amazing, it’s an experience, it’s huge.”
The team in the McElhinneys Bridal Rooms worked closely with American Designer, Hayley Paige, to create the perfect dress just for Suzanne. The princess-style dress had a full-bodied skirt, full-length lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline with lace-detailed bodice and hand-stitched pearls. Suzanne’s mother, Susan Jackson, was also was dressed by McElhinneys in a full length, dusky pink coloured dress and matching gold baroque jacket from Fely Campo. We are incredibly proud to have brought some #McElhinneysMagic down to Skerries for such a special occasion!
As you can tell, we’ve had a pretty busy year in 2017, and none of that would be possible without the support of local, national and international customers, friends and family. We have had a wonderful, busy and exciting year, and we are incredibly excited to find out what 2018 has in-store for the McElhinney family 😊
Merry Christmas to you all and the very best wishes for the 2018, from all the team and McElhinneys!
.- Niamh x
