Market Trader Workshop: How to Thrive in Bricks and Mortar Retail

What to Expect

Mountain View in Ballyhale, home to Mountain View Markets, is running a two hour business workshop on Sunday 16 August 2026 aimed at market traders and small retailers thinking about a move into physical shop space. The session features retail experts Dan Ryan, who brings more than 35 years of executive retail experience from brands including Primark and Selfridges Group and now advises emerging Irish businesses as an angel investor, and Sophie O’Grady, founder of Mountain View Markets, who has also advised on Enterprise Ireland’s export programmes in Australia.

The workshop covers “what it means to sell and scale into physical retail stores, both in Ireland and internationally,” alongside strategies that apply just as much to market stall trading. It is a practical, business-focused evening rather than a general public talk, but it is open to anyone in the local trading and small business community who wants to attend, which gives it the civic, learning-focused character of the county’s business and enterprise calendar.

Mountain View itself is best known locally for its Sunday market, so hosting a retail-focused talk on site lets attendees hear directly from traders who already work the venue, alongside outside speakers with national and international retail experience. It is a fairly small, practical session rather than a large conference, aimed at people who are already selling and weighing up their next step rather than complete beginners.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 16 August 2026, 5pm to 7pm.
• Venue: Mountain View, Kiltorcan, Ballyhale.
• Speakers: Dan Ryan (retail, ex-Primark/Selfridges) and Sophie O’Grady (founder, Mountain View Markets).
• Booking is through Eventbrite; the listing does not carry a published ticket price, so check there before travelling.
• No refunds are offered on this booking, per the organiser’s stated policy.
• This is a standalone workshop date rather than a recurring series.

Getting There

Mountain View is in Kiltorcan, near Ballyhale in south Kilkenny, reached via the R699 road. There is on-site parking at the venue, which also hosts Mountain View’s regular Sunday market.