It was reported that over €20 Billion Euro would be spent by international and domestic buyers at the 4 day annual Irish Trade Show Showcase now in it’s 4oth year.

It’s always an event people look forward to after the January Blues have set in after Christmas!

It is always a great chance for us to catch up with suppliers and the chance to look for some new ones. We were delighted to have found some new Irish made products this week we will be showcasing in the spring, some from Dingle, Donegal and Dublin. We found a very talented Potter who is going to make some beautiful pieces of pottery for our store.

Overall it’s wonderful to see so many new and young start – ups in Ireland, people doing what they love, making products here and exporting all over the world.

We love to source new products, especially those made in Donegal . Last year we had the pleasure of meeting the very talented Louise Tudor-Edmonds who designs and hand makes vintage head pieces, scarves, hats and bow ties using Donegal tweeds and beautiful laces.

Under the name of Vintage Lily Makes, Louise makes amazing one off individual Donegal tweed bow-ties, with an easy to clip double edged clip that attaches easily to any shirt.

We found it had something we’d been asked for a lot lately, tweed bow ties have been particularly popular for wedding attire, matched with a waistcoat it makes a wonderfully traditional yet contemporary look.

We have just added the bow ties to our online shop, they are lightweight and easy to ship, they are a one size so it’s just a matter of choosing your tweed of choice.

AS they are one of pieces, tweed colours may vary slightly if a tie is made to order, and they may take up to one week to be made plus postage but you can see they are certainly worth it.

We are often asked by customers to care for their Aran Sweaters in the shop and online.

As the sweater is made of natural fibre, it is breathable and doesn’t require to be washed as often as a cotton or polyester sweater would.  A good airing will do your sweater good and only wash it when you really need to.

When you do choose a generic hair shampoo and conditioner , wash by hand in a bath tub or basin in cool or tepid water , wash and conditioner with small quantities of each, treat your sweater like you would your hair! Dry it naturally on a towel over a table

It’s full of natural oils after all. Some machines offer a 30* degree cycle that is cool enough not to shrink a sweater but we would always advise you hand wash or dry clean if preferable, if you trust your cleaners and cover any buttons with aluminum foil to protect them. Never ever use the tumble dryer unless you want a Barbie sized sweater.

If you mind your wool garments you’ll have them for years to enjoy.

Wishing all our of customers a very Happy and Peaceful New Year ahead, thank you all for your support through 2015 and here’s to a fruitful 2016. We are expanding and we have got lots of exciting news coming in the next few months that we can’t wait to share with you all. Watch this space!

This week we wanted to showcase our Donegal Tweed Vests pictured above and modeled by Stephen. Always a great seller in store, the vests proved a huge in online sales over Christmas.

Made by Lee Valley Clothing who are based in County Cork using beautiful tweeds , these vests have a very smart fitted style. Combined with a handmade Donegal Tweed Bow tie made especially for the Donegal Shop Dublin by Vintage Lilly Makes , who are based in Donegal. The give a classic but contemporary look.

For a less formal look a grandfather shirt worn with a waistcoat is a great traditional contemporary look too.

The vests are cotton lined with a tightening belt at the back for a really fitted look as well as two front lower pockets and breast pocket, a Mullingar Pocket Watch would look good in one of these!