Cliona Standún discusses the importance of women supporting women
It’s important for businesswomen to help each other out and the members of Network Galway are
very supportive of other women in the group, Cliona Standún tells Jessica Thompson.
Network Galway is a business network for women in all professions – from business to the arts.
Women come together twice a month for events or breakfast or lunch meetings.
“It’s quite a laid-back networking group where people go to meet other people from a social point of
view or to tell people about their business and a lot of people actually go for the social point of view
–a lot of people who have maybe moved to Galway and want to meet other people,” explains Cliona
Standún who is the President of Network Galway.
“We try to organise events at a member’s venue, so if we have a hotel on board, we would hold one
of the lunches or breakfasts there, or an event in the conference room,” she says.
The biggest event of the year is the Business Awards which were held at the beginning of the month
in Glenlo Abbey. Network Galway is a branch of Network Ireland and the winners of the Network
Galway awards will go on to represent Galway in the national finals.
There were three categories at the Network Galway Business Awards: Self-Employed Business
Woman, won by Yvonne Mullaney Executive Sales and Lettings; New Business, which was awarded
to Patricia O’Toole, designer of a fashion line entitled Beautiful You; and Employee, which was won
by Niamh Costello of the Galway Technology Centre.
“There’s also an outstanding business woman, chosen by the committee and that was Carmel
Brennan,” Cliona says.
“The judges were very impressed with all the candidates. They said it was a nightmare to pick one
person from each category and they feel like the winners have a really good chance in the nationals.
They get great exposure, which is good – especially for a new business.”
As President of Network Galway, Cliona has a lot of responsibilities, but she sees far more benefits to
the role than challenges.
“It’s a lot of work organising monthly events and organising the awards night is quite big. There’s a
lot of juggling with my full-time job, but I see more benefits than challenges,” she says.
“I get to meet people around Galway, which also benefits my business because the people I meet
visit my business when they’re passing by. There’s a lot of support for members. People naturally
support one another. If you know a solicitor from the group and then you have a problem, then
you’ll go to that solicitor.”
Cliona runs her own business, the landmark fashion, gift and craft outlet Standún, situated in
Spiddal, which she took over from her father in 2010. The business has been in the family since 1946
when Cliona’s grandparents, May and Máirtín Standún set it up.
39 years later, Cliona’s dad, Donal took over and the business won an award from the Wall Street
Journal for the best place to get an Aran Sweater. The business has changed immensely over what
will soon be seven decades, and Cliona herself is adapting to modern fashions and trends.
“I took over in 2010 and I focus on a tourist and Irish market. So we’re open all year round. In the
winter, local people might buy communion outfits or wedding gifts and then in the summer, the
tourists will come along. So it’s a great mix of the two,” she says.
“The challenge is making it attractive for both. Locals won’t come in if it looks too much like a
touristy shop and tourists won’t come in if it looks too much like a boutique.”
But Cliona seems to be managing so far, with the help of her sister Laragh who runs the business
alongside her.
In the age of social media, the sisters have been working hard to grow their online business, and
with great success: “We deliver all over the world and there’s been an increase online over the past
year or two,” says Cliona.
“We do a lot of work on social media. When I took over, it was really touristy. Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter have been great to get it out that we’re not just for tourists.”
And while it’s challenging, their passion for keeping Standún alive outweighs the difficulties they
may face along the way.
“It’s hard work, but we’re so passionate about it because we worked there from when we were
young and we were so close to our grandparents that we want it to work.”
For more information on Standún, visit www.standun.com. More information on Network Galway
can be found at www.networkgalway.com.
Profile: Cliona Standún
Occupation: Owner of Standún in Spiddal and President of Network Galway.
Location: Galway
CV: Before taking over Standún in Spiddal, Cliona worked as a web developer in the L’oreal head
office, London. She also held a supervisor’s position in Harvey Nichols, London. Before that, she was
a teacher at Stars Welfare Calcutta.
