Contemporary Ireland #1

Keeping Warm: Hope Macaulay

Hailing from the north coast, Hope Macaulay is the Founder of an eponymous label of luxury handmade knitwear and apparel. She’s been getting huge recognition on the global stage.

Think dopamine dressing for the Irish climate and you’ll have a fair idea of what her juicy, colourful, tactile designs are all about. Known best for her Colossal Knit Cardigan, Hope has amassed an Instagram following of over 400k and her apparel is now being retailed at a prestigious pop-up shop in downtown LA.

Drinking: The Dead Rabbit, Austin TX

New York’s renowned Irish bar, The Dead Rabbit, has finally opened its long-awaited Texas chapter in Austin.

The pub’s ethos breaks away from the green beer guzzling of many an Irish bar abroad and instead leans into the real-deal Irish pub aesthetic—lots of dark wood, copper accents, and proper pints and whiskey.

The Founders have also teamed up with a much-loved Belfast cafe, Neighbourhood, to open their first international location right next to Dead Rabbit Austin.

The Dead Rabbit makers have also opened a space in a New York train station, aptly named The Irish Exit.

Eating: Anna Haugh

You may recognise her name from BBC’s Masterchef judges panel, but Dublin-native Anna Haugh is far more than a TV personality. Anna is also the heralded chef the, owner, and all-round head honcho behind Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea.

Myrtle demonstrates the simplicity and modernity of contemporary Irish ingredients and cookery. She’s also recently celebrated the launch of her new cookbook, ‘Cooking with Anna’, which pivots around God-honest tasty Irish dishes that don’t cost the earth.

We are very proud to supply Myrtle with turf incense for that authentic aroma of Ireland when you enter the restaurant!

Running About: Larne on Brink of History

Irish League football (or soccer for our American friends!) team, Larne, made history in their dramatic victory over Kosovan champions, Ballkani, via penalty shootout in front of 3,000 ecstatic fans at Inver Park.

Only two games, against Gibraltan champions Lincoln Red Imps, stands between the club and a place in the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

 This would mark a stunning transformation for the club since its takeover by local businessman Kenny Bruce in 2017, when the club was languishing in the second division and playing in front of gates of 50 (and the odd dog).

The club also boasts Minor League Baseball legend Mike Veeck as a co-owner. MiIke’s life was recently chronicled in Netflix documentary Saint of Second Chances

Making Noise: Clare Island Folk Festival

Those familiar with Co. Mayo’s otherworldly landscape and breathtaking islands need little introduction. 

Boasting sea cliffs, clear blue waters, pods of basking sharks, and karst, windswept hills, it’s no wonder the place is thought to be the home of Irish lore’s legendary pirate queen, Gráinne O’Malley.

From August 23-25th, Mayo’s Clare Island will play host to its annual folk festival, which honours the revival of traditional Irish folk music taking place in today’s contemporary scene. Highlights 

of the festival will include performances by Eva Coyle, Alannah Thornburgh, and Shaskeen.

Building Things: Belfast’s Grand Central Station

Belfast’s brand new train station is set to begin its phased opening in September, a milestone event that sits at the culmination of a whopping £340m project.

It’ll be a while yet before we’ll see the station operations in full swing, however, with estimates that work will continue on the stage well into 2025—and no confirmed date set thus far for trains.

 In the meantime, locals are overly excited that craft beer megabrand BrewDog will have their first outlet on the premises, ensuring that travellers can quickly pregame before a night in town or load up for the unsurprisingly slow bus and train routes the island is notorious for!

Entrepreneurship: Cultshe

Belfast native, Louise Adams, has recently gained recognition for her launch of a female-oriented clothing line for women who farm.

 Louise says the clothing line speaks not only to the often-overlooked needs of female farmers but also recognises their integral role in the Irish farming landscape through time immemorial.

Possibly one of the best word play brand names known to (wo)man. Respect, Louise! #iykyk

Scribbling: Colm Tóibín

The book is a sequel to his acclaimed book ‘Brooklyn’ and has been met with fabulous reviews from both Irish and international critics.

Have a look at the review Colm’s book received from The New York Times to get a feel for what it’s all about.

Carrying On: Reunion

Mark O’Rowe’s new play depicts what, at first, seems like a cosy, typical Irish family—until the skeletons start falling out of the closets and the audience is left to contend with the wake of destruction that plays out across the stage.

The play stars some of Ireland’s top talent from the world of theatre and film: Ian-Lloyd Anderson, Cathy Belton, Venetia Bowe, Stephen Brennan, Leonard Buckley, Simone Collins, Desmond Eastwood, Valene Kane, Robert Sheehan, and Catherine Walker.

With sold-out shows and consistent 5-star reviews, ‘Reunion’ premiered at The Galway Arts Festival in late July and is set to make its way to Dublin in October.

Making Stuff: Archipelago of Colour

Did you know oak galls were Ireland’s primary source of ink until the 19th Century? Some of Ireland’s most heralded manuscripts, including the Book of Kells, were written using this jet-black pigment. We didn’t even know what an oak gall was, let alone what it was used for!

This is the kind of thing being discussed and demonstrated at the first iteration of Archipelago of Colour, a new festival centred around natural dyes, pigments, and inks, that took place in Willow & Lore, Co. Antrim, at the end of July. 

Harking back to Ireland’s indigenous tradition of using the land to produce pigments for clothing, writing, and works of art, the festival embraces the resurgence of interest in these ancient techniques and offers participants the chance to engage in interactive workshops, discussion panels, and wholesome crafting experiences.

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