The best of Irish retail at the click of a button

So, I think I’m finally ready to start my Christmas shopping after weeks of refusing to even think about it.

I’ve decided I’d like to get it done between now and the start of December so that I don’t have to have the idea of it hanging over my head anymore! As you know, I’m a big fan of supporting Irish talent and design and so the new giftedfromireland.com website is the perfect place to peruse a great selection of creative talent all in the one place making it easy to find a special gift for your loved ones or for a little self-gifting.

This new e-commerce marketplace from the team behind Gifted, the contemporary craft and design fair in the RDS, has launched with over 150 of the best sustainable Irish makers and designers from across the country. The new e-commerce hub is a one stop shop for Irish-made jewellery, sustainable living, artisan foods, skincare and homewares. The site is being launched to fill a gap in the market, usually facilitated by live events such as Gifted, this Christmas.

With restrictions on events likely to continue for the rest of 2020, GiftedfromIreland.com brings the beloved Christmas fair online and into your home. From the comfort and safety of your couch you can now shop brands like Danu Ceramics, Orwell & Browne, The Ethical Silk Company and Jennifer Kinnear Jewellery, all on one platform making shopping Irish and local for all your loved ones that much easier.

All you need is a little mulled wine to recreate that Christmas market feel!

Speaking on the launch of this new platform, founder Patrick O'Sullivan said: “This is an exciting time for us. This new platform will make it easier to find Irish made and ethically produced gift ideas without having to compromise on quality or design. There are no sweatshops here, we work closely with our skilled makers to bring you brilliant products direct from their workshops.”

There’s something on the site too for the art lovers with Ireland's premier art fair, Art Source, which hosts over 15,000 people in the RDS every year bringing together a selection of artists work to feature. The annual event, which has been postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions, is Ireland's largest and most exciting art fair featuring over 200 of the best contemporary Irish and international artists and galleries, generating an estimated €3.5 million for the artists in 2019. The Art Source team hopes to bring some of the magic and talent of their fair into people's homes this year. Artists featured on the GiftedfromIreland.com e-commerce site include Margaret Roberts, Padraig McCaul, Living Earth Photography, Martina Furlong and Fiona Concannon.

Patrick continued: “While we are bitterly disappointed that we cannot have our usual annual fair this year, we are delighted to be able to give a platform to some of our talented Irish artists on our e-commerce site, GiftedfromIreland.com. While this does not replace the face to face interaction between the artist and the connoisseur it does allow our wonderful, creative artists to launch their new works and to bring this freshness direct to the door of the art lover!”

We might all be stuck in our homes at the moment but at least we can still virtually check out amazing creative work online, and if like me you are currently attempting to redecorate your home, then you can pick up some beautiful art to hang on your walls.