Clonakilty firm launches memory game

BY GRAINNE DEASY

A CLONAKILTY-based games company has come out with another board game to add to its collection, just in time for the Christmas market. 

Ark Buddies: Noah’s Memory Game was created by West Cork-based independent company Gosling Games. This newly-launched family game invites players to match fun animal cards, keeping with the company’s strong educational but fun ethos, designed by artist William Helps from Rosscarbery, and contains a 3D Noah’s Ark which players themselves must construct.

 Mary Gosling, pictured, right, co-founder of Gosling Gifts and Games, told The Southern Star: ‘We’ve had great feedback about Ark Buddies. Stockists say it has simplicity and it’s so attractive and funny. They love the fact that players make their own ark – it adds another dimension to the game.’  When asked about where the inspiration for Ark Buddies had come from, Mary said: ‘It came out of the blue. I was thinking about what children like and animals were the first thing that came into my mind, because no matter how much technology will grow, or how much time a child will spend watching television, at the end of the day children really love animals, both big and small.’

Mary said she never considered moving the successful business out of her native West Cork. She added that availability of people like William and improvements in technology mean she can contact people whenever she needs to, and everything is now at the touch of a button. 

Gosling Gifts and Games was set up by Mary Gosling and her husband Graham in 1987 – the year the duo launched the best-selling family board game, Discovering Ireland. 

For more, see goslinggiftsandgames.com.