Whether you are a tourist wishing to buy authentic traditional Irish clothing or someone wanting to support local businesses, a visit to The Donegal Shop should be top priority.
Located right in the heart of Dublin City in the iconic Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, the family run business celebrates the best of Irish craft, selling home-spun tweeds and knitted products, as well as jewellery, art and other accessories. The store stocks products from up to 60 Irish suppliers, 18 of which are from Co Donegal.
“Donegal is the home of tweed,” says Linda-Mae Meagle, manager at the Donegal Shop. “There’s still people in Donegal to this day making beautiful hand-loomed products. The likes of Magee have been weaving since 1866, one of the oldest in the country. You don’t have that in other counties.”
The store – founded by Linda-Mae’s mother Carol (both pictured above) in 1995 – began as a space to showcase Donegal weavers like Eddie Doherty and Studio Donegal to Dublin customers. However, it has since expanded, selling anything handmade in Ireland.
“There’s lots of things stocked in other places that look Irish. Yet, they are not made here. We always try and keep it as traditional as possible,” says Linda-Mae. “I really go for one-off pieces. There’s a company called McKernan in Limerick. They use a 19th century loom. And I tell you, the look of scarves you’ll never see anywhere else. They are really special.”
“We also stock products from jewellers. There’s Barry Doyle, a Dublin Goldsmith. He makes this very tasteful jewellery, that’s Celtic and stylish. Look out in store for his Heart of a Celt pendants and his Spiral of Life pendants, as well as earrings. We also stock Kieran Cunnigham’s work. He makes these beautiful handmade broaches in Wicklow.”
According to Linda-Mae, because The Donegal Shop’s products have had a lot of care and time put into crafting them, they are better value for money. “We have a reputation for good quality. We get a lot of repeat customers. Our clothing is not made with polyester or plastic. It’s wool that will last forever.”
The store has attracted celebrities since its foundation. A recent customer was Hollywood A-list actress Chloe Grace Moretz, who popped in while in Dublin shooting Neil Jordan’s thriller Greta. In the past, meanwhile, The Donegal Shop has also welcomed former US President Bill Clinton and British-American broadcast journalist Ted Koppel.
This July discover The Donegal Shop’s artisanal products for yourself. To mark the store’s 24th anniversary, there will be a 24 per cent discount the first week of the month on a selection of products – including knitwear.
Even if you are not in Dublin, The Donegal Shop also delivers from its site at thedonegalshop.com. Spend more than €200 and the store will ship worldwide for free.
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