Welcome to Mully’s

Mully’s Touch of Ireland is an Irish gift shop (and so much more) in downtown Scottsdale, AZ. If you are like many of our visitors to the store, you are asking yourself, “Why did someone open an Irish store in Arizona?” When people think of Arizona their first thoughts go to Cactus, hot weather, swimming pools, and of course the Phoenix Suns basketball team! So find a comfy chair, have a cup of Irish tea (or Irish whiskey), and find out why there’s an Irish shop in the middle of the desert!

My name is Nancy Morrall. My husband, Frank, and I are owners of Mully’s Touch of Ireland. My love of all things Irish began in 2011 on my first trip to Ireland. It was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! I remember looking out the window as we were making our descent into Dublin: green, green, and green, as far as the eye could see. Having been born in New Jersey, raised in Arizona, and lived in San Diego the past 20 years, Ireland was a site to behold, even from the sky. I loved everything about our trip to this lovely Emerald Isle- the people, the countryside, the coastline (oh that coastline!), the pubs, and the food! Since my first trip, I have been back to Ireland 3 more times. Each time I discover new things, new places, and meet new people!

Now back to the store…. Our first trip back from Ireland found us empty handed in the souvenir department. From having a very small rental car with limited trunk space, to expensive shipping costs, we didn’t have room to bring souvenirs home, nor the money to ship them back. After visiting artists in Killarney, such as Wild Goose and Kerry Glass Art, it was sad to leave without having something from their studio. Since we returned from our trip, we talked to our friends, and other people, that we have met voicing the same problem--not being able to bring back Irish art, larger souvenir pieces or souvenirs for their family and friends. So after 4 trips to Ireland we decided to solve this problem. As I was driving down 5^th Avenue in Scottsdale one day, there it was…the perfect location for a small Irish gift shop! The rest, as they say, is history. We opened our doors on May 31^st, 2014, and since that time, we have met wonderful people from all over the world! We have our regular customers, like Mary who stops in for birthday gifts for her friends, a lovely lady from Cork, who was so happy to find Barry’s tea, and a gentleman, who comes in every few weeks and heads straight to our freezer for the bangers and Irish bacon his wife sent him to buy. One of our favorite families came in on one of the hottest days of the year. They were from Meath (north of Dublin) and vacation in Phoenix every summer. There were screams and a big celebration when they spotted Cadbury Crunchies and Curly Wurly chocolate bars. Needless to say they left with chocolate, bangers, and blood pudding, and couldn’t wait to get back to their condo to cook an Irish breakfast!

Now to answer, “Why an Irish gift shop in Arizona?” The answer is another question, “Why not?” The Irish settled Arizona, and there’s even a book about it- Irish Arizona. Arizona is also home to the Irish Business Network as well as the Irish Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix. Arizona also has its very own Celtic newspaper, the Desert Shamrock. Arizona is the perfect place for the Irish to gather and has been for generations.

Thanks for taking the time to read about our store, our history, and our state. I’ll be back in a few days to blog about all things Irish!