| Abstract: |
Emeralds Unlimited, Inc. (1973-1995) was established to provide imported goods from Ireland to promote Irish culture and support
Irish American events in the Cleveland, Ohio area. The owners, Joan Dillon Flynn and Dee Keating, who served as vice president,
opened the first Irish import store in Ohio on October 13, 1973 on Old River Road in the Flats called Emerald in the Flats.
The company was the first import business to participate in the Irish Cultural Festival at the Berea Fairgrounds in Ohio.
A second store was opened in Akron by Flynn's son, John Flynn. It ceased operations one year later, when John Flynn moved
out of sate. Emeralds Unlimited Inc. imported Irish stone and turf jewelry, sweaters, woolens, crystal, and art work. Bernadette
O'Brien, native of Dublin and costume designer for the Cleveland Playhouse handmade "bainin" skirts and purses for the store.
Natives of Brooklyn, New York, of Irish parents, Joan Dillon Flynn and her husband Ed moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1958. The
company consisted of eight stores, including one in Lakewood and Euclid. The operation ceased in 1995. The collection consists
of a catalog, history of the company, and newspaper clippings.
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