From awards and launches to flagship stores and pop-up shops, our country continues to deliver outstanding innovation on a daily basis
The Christmas Market launches at Arnotts with an incredible Irish offering
From Thursday 16 November, explore a wondrous mix of gifts at The Christmas Market at Arnotts, from the perfect personalised items for loved ones to exclusive offerings to delight on Christmas morning. Located on the Second Level, The Christmas Market will continue to champion Irish brands and will showcase fantastic gifting, spanning across craft and design, food, beauty, home, toys and the coveted Pitch ‘23 brands, in the biggest market to date.
This season, Arnotts is introducing its new in-store personalisation service, where every purchase becomes uniquely yours. Elevate the perfect gift with state-of-the-art embroidery and customisable gift ribbons that bring your imagination to life. From monogrammed initials on chic scarves to luxurious gift ribbons that say how you truly feel, the skilled bespoke team will create timeless keepsakes that turn simple gifts into something they’ll treasure forever. Click here for more details.
Voting is now open for the annual Just Eat Awards hosted by Muireann O’Connell
The Just Eat Awards are back for their 10th year celebrating Just Eat’s partners and giving them the recognition they deserve for their commitment to delivery excellence. TV presenter Muireann O’Connell launched the event and will host the ceremony for the second year running. This year, 65 nominees have been shortlisted across 12 award categories, including ‘Best Pizza’, ‘Best Mexican’, ‘Best Burger’ and ‘Best Chipper’ and voting is now open here until 13 December.
The popular ‘Best of Ireland’ award for 2023 will be judged by a panel of restaurant industry stars who will be tasting the best of what Ireland has to offer. The Just Eat Award winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in March 2024.
Redcastle Hotel in Co Donegal wins three top industry awards in a month
The renowned luxury seaside hotel was thrilled to announce its recent triumphs at both the prestigious Irish Hotel Awards 2023 as well as at the Live Wire Global Awards 2023. The hotel was recognised with multiple esteemed awards this autumn, solidifying its position as a leading destination for discerning travellers visiting Ulster. It was awarded the 4-Star Ulster Hotel of the Year at the Irish Hotel Awards 2023, the Ulster Family Hotel of the Year at the Irish Hotel Awards 2023 and won Luxury Hotel and Golf Course of the Year 2023/2024 at the Live Wire Global Awards.
These wins across the various categories mentioned above, showcase Redcastle Hotel’s commitment to excellence in hospitality. All of these categories are highly competitive and show the standard of service and the amenities on offer at the hotel.
Ashford Castle launches new leisure centre on the estate in Cong
There’s a new energy on the Ashford Castle country estate following the launch of Éalú, a vibrant state-of-the-art health and fitness centre for guests of both Ashford Castle and The Lodge at Ashford Castle.
Éalú, meaning ‘escape’, features a pavilion-style building with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, a fifteen-metre swimming pool with a gym, functional fitness studio, and therapy room. The new dynamic space has been created to offer guests a place where they can feel energised, rejuvenated and invigorated, while also providing plenty of opportunities for lively family fun time in the pool. The new Biophilic design of the building, created to nurture the relationship between people and nature, seamlessly brings the outside in, combining natural light with views of the stunning west of Ireland landscape.
Salsa Jeans nominated for European Sustainability Award
Salsa Jeans is one of four finalists in the Sustainability category at the Future of European Commerce Awards 2023. The nomination is a reflection of years of hard work and commitment the Portuguese denim specialist brand has placed on sustainability, in particular through the development of its Infinity programme.
‘Infinity’ is a denim repair service designed to extend the life cycle of the brand’s denim products, making it possible for its customers to wear them for longer and get the best value and time out of their Salsa Jeans denim. Through the Infinity programme, Salsa Jeans will accept and assess the most environmentally-friendly option to repurpose your denim – i.e., donate to charity, recycling or simply turning it into something new.
Chupi flagship store opens on Clarendon Street, Dublin
To begin the next decade of its journey and to coincide with the new store, Chupi is delighted to share the Next Decade, a collection that holds and carries your stories of love, success, sadness and hope, connecting you to your modern heirloom. Inspired by the pieces CEO and founder Chupi Sweetman has been handed down and the stories she carries with them, Chupi has created this new collection. Drawing inspiration from the imperfect beauty of nature, reflecting on the imperfect journey of life and that sometimes, it is the unexpected that brings us our most precious moments, this collection is your piece of the future.
Speaking about both the flagship store opening and the Next Decade launch, CEO and founder, Chupi Sweetman says: “The Next Decade of Chupi has arrived. I am delighted to be bringing the best of global retail theatre to Dublin. Like Powerscourt Townhouse, the Next Decade collection is a timeless collection of lifelong treasures full of pieces that resonate with my story and what I hope the next decade will bring. We carry our stories with us, encapsulated in the precious pieces that we have chosen to celebrate our journey.”
Killarney’s first underground bar has plenty of surprises in store
A unique new bar has just opened beneath the well-trodden streets of Killarney. Pig’s Lane on College Street, is the town’s first underground drinks spot offering hand-crafted cocktails designed by a world champion mixologist; sustainably selected natural, regenerative and vegan wines; locally sourced snacks and small plates; a whiskey parlour; and live music from both well-known and up-and-coming artists.
Making its opening debut earlier this month, the subterranean venue has been developed by the innovative and sustainably-minded family-run team behind the O’Donoghue Ring Collection. Pig’s Lane is a nod to the former name of the original site on which the new bar now stands. In the early 1900’s, Pig’s Lane ran from college street through Railway Road.
SOLE Seafood & Grill wins prestigious award for 5th consecutive year
SOLE Seafood & Grill has been voted Best Luxury Seafood Restaurant in Europe at the prestigious World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2023. Culinary Director Richie Wilson and Head Chef Oscar Mingyi Chen accepted the award, at a ceremony which was held in Athens, Greece on Saturday 28 October. The renowned Dublin restaurant first won this award in 2019, followed by Best Luxury Seafood Restaurant in Ireland in 2020 and then won Best Luxury Seafood Restaurant in Europe again in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
This extraordinary recognition is a testament to Wilson and his team’s commitment to culinary excellence. After opening its doors in March 2018, SOLE has committed to using only high-quality, locally sourced ingredients while offering an exceptional dining experience all year round.
Cogs Toys and Games celebrates decade in business with launch of new pop-up shop on Grafton Street
Ireland’s leading independent toy retailer, Cogs Toys and Games, has celebrated the launch of its new pop-up shop on Dublin’s Grafton Street. Cogs Toys and Games (formerly Cogs The Brain Shop) has been a fixture in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin since it was set up by siblings Conor Brady and Ruth Roberts in 2013. But now the pop-up shop at 3 St Stephen’s Green at the top of Grafton Street — the former Oasis store — will showcase the company’s curated range of family board games, baby and toddler toys, brain teasers, jigsaws, arts and crafts, strategy, and STEM games.
It will also feature its unique range of products specifically for children with additional needs, including sensory toys for children with autism, reading games for children with dyslexia, and fidget toys for those with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Waterford and Wexford listed by Conde Nast Traveller in their ‘Best Place To Go’ 2024
The prestigious international travel magazine ‘Conde Nast Traveller’ has zoned in on Ireland’s sunny southeast for their ‘Best Place To Go in the UK & Ireland’ 2024 listing. Published on 15 November, Conde Nast Traveller says of the list: “At the end of each year, we look ahead to what’s coming next in the travel world as we pick out the top destinations we’d recommend to our fellow globetrotters for the following 12 months.”
Of the 12 places on the list, ‘Waterford & Wexford’ are cited together as a southeast travel destination and it is the only Irish inclusion. The listing details the newly refurbished Loftus Hall and its imminent opening, the oldest intact operating lighthouse in the world – Hook Lighthouse, Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore and the delicious seafood at The Beach House in Tramore and the magnificent Mount Congreve House and Gardens.
