About Achill Knitwear

Achill Knitwear is the online storefront of Kieran Sweeney's long established traditional Irish knitwear and Aran sweater store at Achill Sound, on Achill Island in Co. Mayo in the west of Ireland.

Thomas Staunton, my grandfather, established a Drapery and Footwear shop in Achill Sound, Co. Mayo, in the early 1930s. He had trained for this business and worked all over Ireland and came to Achill after his wife (my grandmother) died while my mother and her 2 sisters were very young.

My mother, Eileen Staunton, married Stanislaus (Staney) Sweeney from Currane in the parish of Achill although on the mainland of Ireland in 1947. They both continued the original shop with clothing, footwear and drapery (these were rolls of material for dressmaking and curtains) until the late 1970s when the premises pictured above in our logo were built close to the original location. They have 3 sons Stanley, Declan and Kieran.

This new shop carried a range of handknitted garments and a variety of locally made handcrafts. I joined the family business in 1967, married Nora Moran from Currane in September 1969. We have 5 in family Mark, Alvin, Ian, Aoife, Derval, and now 4 grandchildren Cian, Leon, James, Anna.

My first website was erected in 2002/2003 and has been upgraded in 2008 to a full database site. This has helped my business and is a great way to expand from a remote corner of Europe without leaving this beautiful and spectacular area of the west of Ireland.

I am continuing a tradition of service to the local community established at the height of the depression of the 1930s, which has been run successfully for three generations and over 70 years.

I hope you enjoy my website. Please feel free to contact me anytime with suggestions or ideas for improving the website.

Kieran Sweeney