It’s been a very exciting month for us here , our crowd funding campaign to raise funds for an electronic make over of the shop was launched. We were amazed to see our goals hit in less than 24 hours!

Essentially Linked Finance are an Irish based company that provide finance to small businesses like ourselves by putting the loan out to public tender to the lenders who are signed up through Linked Finances website http://www.linkedfinance.com

There was an over whelming response to our bid , and were are delighted to be closing the bid in the next week. There is still an opportunity to lend and be a part of a busy Dublin based family owned business!

Peer to peer lending as it’s known is a great alternative to bank borrowing and offers people an insight into other fellow local businesses . We will offer a discount to all of our lenders as an incentive.

We look forward to updating our very out of date till system! Thanks to Linked Finance for all their support. It will be a nice bonus to our 20th Anniversary celebrations next month.

We had the pleasure of visiting the Fisherman Out of Ireland factory in Kilcar County Donegal last week. Fisherman was set up 22 years ago by Dubliner Des Byrne making high quality high end knitwear using local wools as well imported cashmere and extra fine merino wools.

Fisherman have always stood out from the crowd for their high quality fabrics and design blending the traditional with the very fashionable and contemporary.

Here is an example of a ladies polo neck made using 100% extra fine merino wool, extremely soft to the touch , incredible styling, a very modern take on an Aran Style Polo that we have ever seen before. This style will be in Stock the end of October 2015.

Here is a photo of the staff hard at work at the factory in Donegal. Each garment begins on a power loom for 30-100 minutes depending on the detail, it then passses 7-10 stages of checking , hand finishing, quality control, steaming and pressing. An incredible process, all here in Donegal, employing local people and sending Donegal products worldwide. It really is a special thing they do here.

Their brochure shots were taken in Killybegs County Donegal and blend the Fisherman look fantastically. Here is another style we having coming next month….

We are really looking forward to stocking this beautiful range all made in Donegal.

We have been stocking Carnaween Tweed caps made in Donegal for nearly a year now. They are in the high end of the flat cap range. Hand finished with extraordinary attention to detail such as the satin lining, a Carnaween Cap is something special.

The company was set up by Carmel Weir and her partner, Carmel has been in the business for many years, she has taken bespoke tweed carftsmanship to a new level such is their quality and style.

Pictured above is the Charrig style and the grey herring bone in Clochan style above, all named after place names in the Malin Mhór area of North West Donegal. 

Finished with the leather Carnaween logo on the side , these caps have a style of their own. Available in store and online at http://www.thedonegalshop.com

We love selling genuinely Irish made products , but particularly from Donegal. Eddie Doherty a weaver from Ardara in County Donegal learnt the art of handweaving when he only 16 years old. 

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With the Irish love of tea, most Irish households have a tea pot somewhere. Though these days there is little time to make and enjoy a pot of tea with hectic schedules all around, for those tea lovers out there you know there is nothing like a cup of tea made from a pot!

So we’ve been selling the perfect accessory for this in the Aran Tea Cosy. Handknitted in Dublin by Joan our very talented knitter, the tea cosy pictured above is made exclusively for the shop and retails at €29.99. It’s made using a wool mix so it’s soft and machine washable. It also fits small to medium size tea pots. It would also stretch over a larger size.

We are obviously biased and love our own knitters honeycomb pattern but we found this little beauty on Pinterest and love the combination of stitches and bobble head top.

As well as looking adorable, a wool tea cosy really works to keep a pot of tea warm and it’s a great momento to take home for visitors to Ireland as well as all the Irish living around the world, this is a lovely reminder of home!

Here is another example of an aran tea cosy we found on Pinterest, but we think you can’t beat Joan’s design that looks like the tea pot is wearing a little Aran Sweater adorable!

What an iconic picture of men carrying a currach boat over their heads on the Aran islands. We are very excited to be hitting the road today and heading into the West to visit the famous Inis Mhór , the largest of the Aran Islands. We felt on our 20th Anniversary on business this year it was about time we visited the home of the Aran Sweater.

We look forward to seeing the sights and we’ll be picking up some extra special stock from the Aran Islands.

We’ll have some new shots of our own for next week!

This week we are going to suggest some ideas for the diffferent kind of Arans on offer in our store. Above Stephen is wearing a machine made Merino Wool Vest, this sleaveless sweater is a classic design with honeycomb and diamond stitching on the front. What might have been considered an older gentleman’s sweater is now worn by all ages! A men’s style, women have also bought this. While traditional in style, the Aran Vest is getting a very contemporary following. Retailing at €59.99 made by Carraig Donn.

If you want something for the chillier summer evenings, then the full Aran sweater is for you. Made here using Merino Wool, it’s soft and warm, it will take you into the evening, in the garden or at a festival . While it maybe July for our Irish customers you know what it’s like in Ireland after 7pm, you’ll need something heavier to wear if you want to stay out. Machine made here in Ireland by Arancrafts retails at €69.99.

Finally the hand loomed Donegal Aran above modeled by Stephen. A heavier pure new wool Aran hand loomed in Donegal by Rossan knitwear. The hand loomed Arans are a chunkier style , more wool is used in making them and they are extremely warm. You can see how differently the honeycomb stitch looks on a handloomed Aran. Retailing at €89.99.

Check out our shop on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKxX_omGt0Q and tell us what you think!

We found Ekotree Tree Scarves at Showcase In the RDS, the annual trade show for Irish crafts and products in 2014. We were taken by their vibrant colours and use of Kilcar Yarn to make high end fashionable Irish made Scarves.

Diarmuid the man behind Ekotree is passionate about using sustainable practices in weaving and manufacturing. Describing Ekotree as designer makers of knitwear using fabrics such as; alpaca (shown above), lambswool merino, cashmere, mohair, linen and organic cotton.

Ekotree draw their inspiration from “landscape textures and patterns as well as from the rich heritage of Irish Knitwear and modern styling”.

Above is an example of the Newgrange range in terracota colour with heart or circle designs on either side measuring 185cm x 30 cm . Using Alpaca it’s soft to the touch and extremely warm.

Based in Killaloe Co Clare, all Ekotree fabrics are sourced ethically , made and finished in Ireland.

An Ekotree scarf while retailing a little higher than alot of our other scarves at €69.99 are made with huge effort and care and certainly worth the extra for such a beautufully finished high end product.

Winning Best Newcomer 2015 at this year’s Showcase was a well deserved award.

In Ireland it’s Father’s day this Sunday the 21st of June, so we’ve put together a list of some great gifts for all those dads out there or for the special someone who acts like a dad to you!

An Aran

You can’t beat an auld Aran! Made in Ireland, soft and warm Merino wool perfect for dads who like the outdoors, they are also great in the cool Irish summer evenings in the garden. Available in all sizes small up to xxlarge. From €49.99.

Donegal Pens

As the McGarvey Brothers say, everyone needs a pen. The Donegal Pens are no ordinary pen though, hand turned in Donegal by two talented young men using the best of local Irish woods, shown here in Speckled Beech. A classic gift for dads. From €29.9.99

Irish Wool Flat Cap

The original Irish Wool Flat cap, warm , protective and comfortable, surely every dad should have one! From €29.99.

This might blow the budget a bit, but if there is a few of you here is something worth thinking about, a beautifully cut Donegal Magee Tweed Jacket, a timeless piece he’ll have forever . Great to dress up or dress down with jeans. From €295.

Enjoy your weekend, we are open every day and the website never closes!

We been selling Cushendale products for a number of years now. They have been producing woollen products at their mill in Graignamanagh since the 1800’s.

Originally a monastic mill, the Cushen family were fortunate enough to buy original Abbey Mill in Graignamangh in 1925. Situated on the Duiske River it was the perfect location for a busy and modern mill relying on the water source to not just power the mill but too use in the dying process of the wools.

Now run By Philip and MAry Cushen and family, Cushendale Woollen Mills is a thriving family business spinning and weaving making such finished products as throws, hats and scarves but also an fantastic range of Mohair and wool for knitting.

The One Ball Wonder

A wonderous knitting kit for beginners or advanced knitters who will knit up a scarf/infinity scarf if they wish in no time. The kit includes a pair of chunky wooden needles, a knitting pattern and 100g of Wool/Mohair mix enough to knit the scarf.

These kits absolutely fly off the shelves in store and online for us. Also available is the crochet knitting kit.

Also made by Cushendale Woollen Mills are a beautiful range of Mohair Throws, we stock the most popular double size which would generously cover a double bed or couch.

It might be June, but in Ireland if the sun ever comes out as soon as it goes down it tends to get a bit chilly! These are perfect for throwing over your shoulders or knees and staying cosy outdoors.

It’s a pleasure for us to stock such a high quality product, all made in Ireland, the entire manufacturing process creating jobs in Ireland, and a great family business.