By Róise Collins
FIFTEEN years ago this month, two West Donegal brothers celebrated their first official sale of handcrafted wooden pens.
Ronan and Conor McGarvey were just 13 and 10 years old when their journey as young entrepreneurs began in their garden shed. Their first stockists were two local craft outlets: Ionad Cois Locha in Dunlewey and Glenveagh National Park.
The McGarvey brothers, Conor and Ronan when they started Donegal Pens 15 years ago.
Today, the Loughanure brothers supply 50 shops worldwide and boast a busy website that ships orders internationally.
“We’re lucky to have great resellers in over fifty stores across Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA,” Ronan told the Donegal News.
Tens of thousands of pens have found their way to every corner of the world, even into the hands of President Obama.
Ronan fondly recalls how, during a visit to Ireland for the G8 summit, the then-President of the United States and his family were presented with Donegal Pens.
They crafted two pens for President Obama and his wife Michelle from Irish bog oak sourced from bog land at Inver, South Donegal, and a native Donegal Oak and Donegal Ash for Malia and Sasha.
Speaking to the Donegal News at the time Conor said it was a great honour for them and certainly the most high profile people ever to have Donegal Pens.
Meeting the Dragons….Ronan and Conor McGarvey of Donegal Pens pictured in the Dragons’ Den in 2012 with the five dragons. From left, Peter Casey, Ramona Nicholas, Gavin Duffy, Barry O Sullivan and Sean O Sullivan.
Ronan also remembers the nerve-wracking experience of appearing on Dragons’ Den in the early days of the business. During the show, the two young schoolboys made a big impression on the not-so-easily-impressed Dragons, emerging with €4,000, the highest amount secured from all twenty finalists.
In 2014, they took a major step forward by purchasing a Mantech laser machine, allowing them to engrave names, messages, logos, and more on the wooden parts of their handmade pens.
Ronan McGarvey of Donegal Pens.
Now in their mid to late twenties, both brothers have grown and evolved with their business.
Last year, Conor, the younger of the two, emigrated to Australia, while Ronan continues to hold the fort.
The workshop, still located in their father’s back garden, has seen numerous upgrades since its humble beginnings. The timber they use for their pens also continues to be sourced locally, with a tree surgeon in Ballybofey being one of their main suppliers.
Ronan and Conor Mc Garvey pictured with Alan Grant, Director, Expert Hardware, the company that sponsored the new workshop and equipment for the boys in 2012.
Ronan explained that, in addition to their many loyal customers, the business continues to expand. They are now supplying pens to corporate clients, including Abbott in Donegal Town, Tata Consultancy Services in Letterkenny, and several government departments.
A handmade Bog Oak Donegal Pen.
To celebrate their 15th anniversary, Donegal Pens is offering a 15 per cent discount on all products ordered during the month of April. Visit their website, www.donegalpens.com, and enter the code BIRTHDAY15 at checkout.
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)
Peter Casey says he doesn't believe it's right to 'con either the people of Donegal or himself' that...
TWO handmade bog oak pens from West Donegal reached new heights high in the sky over Egypt on Thursday...
THE McGarvey brothers of Donegal Pens have just made a big investment in their business taking it to a...