Back in August 2013 team Irish Design Shop decided to head west for a bit of an adventure. After a quick trip to Westport to try out the infamous Greenway route on our bikes, we headed north to Co. Sligo.

It was in Strandhill where we set down to visit the lovely folk at Shell’s café. Facing the amazing beach, which is the perfect haven for surfing enthusiasts, Shells not only serves up the most delicious food all day long, but also houses a small gift shop selling everything from homemade brown bread to hand-made jewellery and homewares.

Jane and Myles opened Shells back in March 2010 having travelled the world to find the ideal spot to settle down, with the goal to create a special place for people to come and eat simple hearty food after a long day on the waves. On arrival to Strandhill you may also pass their beautiful home which is an extended old cottage, with concrete floor and countertops, the kitchen is really at the centre of this small but perfectly formed home. We were lucky enough to be invited to a small barbeque with a wonderfully diverse guest list. It was there that we met the owners of Voya Seaweed baths.

The highlight of the trip was a hike up Knocknarea mountain to see the burial mound of the legendary Queen Maeve. For those of you who don’t know the the story behind this celtic queen allow me to give you a brief outline:

There is the mythological Queen Maeve and a real counterpart whose stories appear to overlap. The real-life Meave was a very ambitious woman, born in Rathcroghan Co. Roscommon, daughter of the King of Connacht. When her father died and her sister Clothra was named Queen she murder her pregnant sister in order to take the throne by force. Maeve married several times, most famously to Conor, King of Ulster, and apparently lived to 120 when she was eventually murdered by her sister’s son. Her legend was used to inspire warriors through the ages, when women were allowed to partake in battles.

When we visited the cairn up on Knocknarea a creepy dense mist came in from the sea (the ghost of Queen Maeve perhaps?!)

The final morning of our trip we paid a visit to the aforementioned Voya seaweed baths to rid our bodies of all of the alcohol related toxins we had forced upon ourselves. Not knowing what to expect from it at all, I was totally amazed, and really can't recommend it enough!

On the route home we dropped in to visit Elizabeth who makes the amazing “Salt of the Earth” plywood jewellery we sell in store. She is currently “minding” in her (architect) uncle’s incredible home just outside Strandhill, with the most amazing views of the beach. You couldnt choose a more inspiring spot to create from.

One more stop before the long journey back to Dublin. We called in to Matt Jones, woodturner in the sleepy village of Riverstown, to have a nose around and pick up an order of twig pots. Matt has his home and workshop just behind the local parish hall. The workshop is kitted out with a variety of wood-turning lathes and chisels that we spent the afternoon coveting. Here he creates the most incredible hand turned bowls and vessels.

Our highlights and tips for a trip West:

•  A cycle along the Greenway (we went from Mulranny to Achill)
•  A hike up Knocknarea to see Queen Maeve’s tomb.
•  Visit Dolly’s cottage (a 200 yr old preserved thatched cottage)
•  Dinner or Brunch in Shell’s café (we tried both).
•  Take a seaweed bath at Voya 
•  Surfing in Strandhill of course!

On a dark and dreary January afternoon it is nice to reminisce about long balmy Summer days in West Cork. Last July we spent a week in Baltimore taking in the delights of what this marvellous part of the country had to offer. Having met Ginny (one half of Quercus) the previous month in Dublin, we were pretty excited to add a visit to the Quercus studio to the itinerary.

Ginny and Jason Pavry are the husband & wife team behind Quercus. Based in idyllic Baltimore, West Cork, Quercus aims to strike a balance between aesthetics and sustainability with an emphasis on natural materials sourced in Ireland. Together they developed their signature piece, the Seedpod bird feeder made from hand-turned Irish oak. Other items in the ever growing range include the seedhead, (designed to sit in flowerbeds and borders or in flowerpots) and plant labels, all stocked at Irish Design Shop.

On the morning we made our trip to the Quercus studio, Jason had just completed an order of Seedpods. The workshop, a pretty fancy light filled barn, is a woodturners dream. Tools and chisels hang in an organised manner on the walls, the smell of woodchip fills the space & high quality Irish hardwoods fill the loft.

By the time we had taken a few snaps, Pip the Quercus guard dog had finally started to warm to us. We could have stayed there all day getting helpful woodturning tips from Jason, petting the dog (we love an auld studio dog) but we were on a schedule, the ferry to Sherkin Island was beckoning via a final trip to the Glebe for possibly the best sandwiches in the rebel county.

Clare & Laura’s top tips on West Cork:

• Make sure to take a ferry to some of the nearby islands. We took a day trip to Cape Clear to sample the infamous Cape Clear goat ice cream. Sherkin island is a 15 minute ferry ride from Baltimore. Not much on the island itself, but the wedges in the Jolly Roger pub are fantastic! We stayed over night on Sherkin. Our number one piece of advice is bring a torch! Essential when wandering back to your accomodation after a skinful in the Jolly Roger
• If you are visiting Skibereen, make the visit to Mrs Minihans bar, a truly authentic Irish bar. Sample the warm beer from crystal glasses while flies circle above.
• Clonakilty is a far more picturesque spot than ‘Skib’ with nearby Inchydoney beach a must on the itinerary
• By far our favourite place in West Cork, the Glebe in Baltimore serves fantastic food all day, all sourced locally, organic the whole nine yards! The evening menu is a bit special, the lamb was only marvellous!
• We do like our food