Desire Lines: Leeside art, Dublin candles, and swooping Irish-made wraps

Ruth O'Connor's guide to inspiring ideas and beautiful things

Sat, 23 Dec, 2023 - 02:00

Ruth O'Connor

Wrap It!

Whether you’re looking for a cosy but elegant knit to wear over Christmas or a last-minute present for a lucky recipient it’s not too late to pop into the Madigan store in Dublin’s Westbury Mall.

There you’ll find a beautiful selection of items including wraps, shawls, sweaters, hats and socks to keep you cosy from your head to your toes.

While in the mall you’ll also find a range of other Irish-owned luxury businesses including STABLE of Ireland, Stonechat Jewellers, Susan Hunter Lingerie and Paula Rowan whose gloves have been worn by everyone from Blake Lively and Naomi Campbell to Madonna and Naomi Watts in the past year alone.

Or pop next door to the Westbury Christmas Shop where you’ll find a wonderful selection of signature gifts to replicate the hotel’s 5-star experience — from Art Deco-inspired cocktail sets to beautiful wreaths, seriously stylish Christmas crackers to the elegant tea cups and saucers familiar to Westbury regulars.

madigancashmere.com

Try It!

If you’re looking for a last-minute beauty update for yourself or a friend then look to Ayu Cosmetics the brilliant Irish brand with easy-to-apply products and some of the best value gift sets around.

We love their ‘Dreamy, Defined Eyes’ set (€25 worth €52.50) which includes their Total Lash Mascara, and two stunning eyeshadows, the Ayu Kohl Nude Eyeliner and the waterproof, smudge-proof Ayu Liquid Eyeliner.

Or how about the ‘Mesmereyes Liquid Eyes’ set (€25 worth €60) with three gel-based liquid eyeshadows in sparkling bronze, silver and gold?

There are lots of stocking fillers too with prices from €10.

Available at Ayu, Mahon Point Shopping Centre, Cork; Ayu Kildare Village and at ayu.ie.

Light It!

Irish company Rathbornes 1488 is the oldest registered company in the world.

Once concerned with producing candles to light up churches and city streets, the brand is now synonymous with luxury and their products sit happily in Brown Thomas Dublin and Cork alongside international names such as Trudon, Neom and Diptyque.

Their new ‘Dublin Discovery’ set is a beautifully presented collection of five fragrant candles inspired by the capital — including ‘Dublin Dusk’ and ‘Dublin Retreat’.

Available exclusively at Brown Thomas stores and online. €145. rathbornes1488.com

Cork It!

Jason O’Gorman is a self-taught multidisciplinary designer, illustrator and artist, a proud Corkonian and the designer of our magazine cover today.

His art is inspired by everything Cork — the language, the culture and every ounce of craic the city has to offer.

He likes mixing up his love of the city with other things that influence his life, and his art is full of clever everyday observations with a little dose of sarcasm and humour thrown in too.

You can find his work on jasonogorman.ie and badlydrawnbai.com where you’ll find his brilliant prints, postcards and 2024 calendars.

Celebrate It!

Fancy doing something different this New Year’s Eve?

The Eccles Hotel and Spa in stunning Glengarriff will be transformed into the setting for a Downtown Ball — an evening that promises timeless elegance and refined glamour.

Book into the hotel for one or two nights with breakfast the following morning.

Tickets to the New Year’s Eve event include a cocktail jazz reception and a five-course dinner menu by award-winning chef Eddie Atwell with wine pairing accompanied by live swing jazz by Cork’s own The Darktown Strutters.

As the clock strikes midnight, celebrate the past and raise a glass to the future at this delightful 4-star hotel.

Prices from €350 per couple. eccleshotel.com

Eat It!

Dashing to the shops for last-minute treats?

Baileys has you covered with a wide range of chocolates including their festive patterned Christmas tree tin with their popular Baileys Chocolate Original Truffles (€11) and the Baileys Chocolate Gift Wrap Box (€13) with a selection of milk, dark and white truffles, brownies and caramels all with a Baileys flavour.

Back by popular demand are the luscious Baileys chocolate bombes - simply pop one in a mug with hot milk for a luxurious Baileys hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Available at selected Supervalu, Tesco, Dunnes, Carrolls Irish Gift Stores and Dublin Airport stores.

Time It!

With its fresh new look, The Collective on Dublin’s Drury Street is hard to miss and home to a brilliant array of jewellery and watches including the fabulously 90s retro Storm Watches design seen here at €139 (anyone remember their bubble watches?).

They have a wide range of prices when it comes to their jewellery offering — from fun and affordable to special pieces at the higher end.

Anyone creative would just love to receive a voucher for one of their classes too — learn to make anything from a simple silver ring or pendant to more complex pieces that include stone setting.