#ShopIrish: Plan the perfect night in with this week’s Irish happiness edit

By Lucy White
13th Nov 2020

#ShopIrish: Plan the perfect night in with this week’s Irish happiness edit

Super-soft knits, luxurious bedding, a home disco with Roisin Murphy, a fancy new whiskey… this weekend just got cosier/cooler

Roe & Co

Thirteen may be unlucky for some but it’s the magic number for Roe & Co Cask Strength 2020 whiskey, which has languished in Port casks for as many years before going on the market this week. Many whiskeys are put into Port casks at the very end of their maturation cycle, however, this premium single malt has spent the full 13 years idling away in the one barrel, soaking up its intense flavours to offer robust and unctuous notes of dark berries, cocoa, molasses, honey-roast barley and coffee. This lack of human intervention means it has also been bottled at natural cask strength of 58 per cent ABV. Hic! €74 at specialist whiskey stores (and Roe’s distillery when it reopens).

Bébhínn

Former costume designer Bébhínn McGrath makes beautiful knits and linen pieces from her Waterford studio, using Merino wool sourced from Donegal Yarns and linen from Emblem Weavers. Everything is made to order in pretty much any colour under the sun, from pale and deep teals through to mustard, reds and several neutrals. Her woollen neck warmers are perfect for warming up a bare nape or else team it up with a Bébhínn sweater or cardigan for maximum cosinesss. Her mittens, hats and scarves make great gifts also. Neck warmers €25, jumpers from €140.

Peelo

Need to nip to the local shop? There’s a bag for that. Now we’re no longer cramming everything but the kitchen sink into massive totes to take to work, Peelo’s Saffiano Crossbody Bag couldn’t be more handy. Crafted in Italian leather and designed in Dublin by Julie Peelo, whose accessories career began with Marni in Milan before working with John Galliano in Paris and Diane von Furstenberg in New York, you’ll never need another crossbody bag again. It’s the spot-on size for a wallet, keys, phone and makeup, and the black, raspberry and cognac colour options make for timeless classics. One for the Christmas wishlist at €225.

EQ Factories

Buying unknown fragrances online is a risk – one woman’s Eau de Perfect is another woman’s Eau de Piddle – which makes EQ Factories’ bumper pack of samples a stroke of genius. All eleven fragrances are now available as a set of 1.75ml vials, which means you can try a new scent each day before eventually deciding on a full-size bottle if/when you’ve exhausted them all. Let’s be clear, these blends aren’t for those who love “fresh linen” or sweet perfumes: these are grown-up, sensual and outright sexy scents that, though are classified as gender neutral, lean towards the traditionally masculine end of the spectrum, with their motifs of wood, spice and leather notes. EQ is a labour of love by Irish-Canadian artist Erin Quinn, who sells exclusively to IMMA and also the Oscar Wilde House, for whom she created two specially commissioned fragrances, Salomé and Lilac Wine. They are also at her website, all 11 samples costing €54 during November only.

Róisín Murphy

Hold on to your Lurex boiler suits (or whatever out-there get-up you have to hand): Ms Murphy and her band will be streaming live into the comfort of your own homes this Saturday. It’s a Mixcloud event that’ll broadest three times on November 14, with local times aimed at Sydney, London and New York: in Ireland, clear your diary for a 9pm start time. Her current album, Róisín Machine, is one of the year’s best and if her lockdown concerts are anything to go by, this new instalment should be quite the craic. Just add cocktails. €13.53, which includes a discount on her new LP.

White & Green

Ireland’s fancy-bedding game is strong and White & Green is hands down among the finest. It’s actually outrageous how soft these sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases are, made from 100 per cent organic sateen cotton in 300 thread count by certified fair trade manufacturers. Slipping between these sheets will recall blissful slumbers in posh hotels (remember them?), thanks to the expertise of its mum-and-two-daughters co-founding team. White & Green also sell silk pillowcases, towels and even covid-thwarting face masks. Luxury bedding bundles are currently starting at €239, with separates available also.

Sómas

Sómas really is what it says on the tin, it being the Irish word for ‘comfort’ or ‘ease’. Hand-poured in Cork by Margaret Urbanowicz, these vegan and cruelty-free candles are made from natural soy wax and have cotton wicks for a cleaner burn. That’s the science bit. But what about the scents? Heavenly might describe their emanations, each one inspired by the Irish landscape, such as Driftwood & Sea Salt, Honey & Smoked Beech and Rhubarb & Peony. They also look as lovely as they smell, including honeycomb-shaped packaging (even if you’re only self-gifting, ahem). Candles cost €29, with travel-sized versions at €12.95 for when the time comes to bust out of lockdown.