Natives of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula return to Big E with various handcrafted products

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A showcase at the Big E is giving people the experience of Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula without taking a flight.

Inside the Young building, large crowds traveled through Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula Showcase, highlighting some of Ireland’s finest handcrafted products. All of which were made in Dingle, a corner of the island that maintains close connections to western Massachusetts.

22News spoke to the Director of Sales, Tim Garstka on what’s it like to see the Irish culture on display for the course of the 17-day fair. “You come in, you see the big smiles, the hugs, the laughter. It’s part of the Irish way of life. And they bring it over with them across the Atlantic every year. And it’s it’s one of my favorite parts of the fair,” said Garstka.

Dingle and West Springfield are sister cities and many residents of Irish decent can trace their ancestry back to the Dingle Peninsula or nearby Blasket Islands.

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