WORCESTER, Mass. - The owner of the Erin Giftstore in the Worcester Public Market was born and raised in Ireland.

Jennifer Courville says while the bright green a lot of people wear for parades is great, she focuses more on the traditional side of handknit Irish goods and preserving the culture of her home country.

From sweatshirts and blankets to the classic Irish flat cap, Courville said her store has some great items for a St. Patrick’s parade; but at Erin Giftstore, her goal is to preserve Irish culture year-round.

“Here with me, I want you to buy or see Irish culture, the Irish manufacturers at their finest," Courville said. "And I think I have a fairly good representation of that, which also speaks to the vibe of what the shop at home in Blarney carries.”

Courville’s 192-square foot space in the Worcester Public Market is a reflection of her family’s larger store in County Cork, Ireland.

“My dad had started to shop when I was about 15 years old. It's in the old tram station outside of Blarney, attached to Blarney Castle," Courville said. "So as a child, we started in retail when we were all pretty young. And then, like I said, we had the hand knitting manufacturing business. So, this was really these sorts of things were really our main our main livelihood at the time.”

Now Courville’s siblings still run the store and knitwear businesses started by her parents in Ireland. She imports items from her home country, and from sweaters to sheep, a lot of what she sells is made by her family.

“We have my brothers, sheep and scarves," Courville said. "These guys are just nuts; everybody loves them. I mean, who wouldn't take home one of these? Every time they leave, I am so sad; they're like my little herd.”

Courville said, especially in March, it seems there’s a big appreciation for Irish culture in the U.S.

“I don't know what it is about the Irish culture, but people really, really hold on to that," Courville said. "The generations that have come before seemed to have been very careful about passing on their heritage, passing on their stories, passing on their roots to each generation that went by.”

And Courville believes it’s thanks to the work done to preserve the culture that makes so many people want to celebrate the Irish.

“And I have a great appreciation for that, especially as a person who's not at home anymore," Courville said. "Like my brothers and sisters are at home. I really and truly miss them. I'm homesick for them all the time. So, I can only imagine how people who could never go home again, especially in the last generations, they preserved that, they preserved that in their stories. And the Irish people are good storytellers, good old 'seanchaís' there. You know, we can spin a grand old yarn for you.”

The Erin Giftstore is open Wednesdays through Sundays at the Worcester Public Market.