IRELAND – Tea Towel

PLACE REPRESENTED: Ireland

ITEM: Tea Towel

NOTES: Irish Family names on a map of Ireland with the usual symbols of Ireland : the thatched roof cottage, Glendalough Round Tower, a Celtic cross, a drinking cup and a gold collar. I’m not sure how accurate it is an ancestry location locator but many, many Irish surnames are shown.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: 52% linen, 48% cotton.

MADE IN: Ireland

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 45cm x 65cm

IRELAND – Toy – NEW PHOTO

2021PLACE REPRESENTED:   Ireland

ITEM: Toy

NOTES: A novelty blow up Irish Hammer. I assume it is for hitting people. The Irish would be well justified in hitting some people. The blow up hammer keeps the carnage to a minimum whilst still expressing an opinion.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s

MADE FROM: plastic

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 90cm when inflated (packet 15cm x 20cm)

IRELAND – Calendar

PLACE REPRESENTED:   Ireland

ITEM: Calendar

NOTES: A rustic Irish calendar depicting a happy go lucky stereotyped “Paddy” (it says so between his legs!) with his shillelagh which is also depicted at the top of the calendar in twig form. The real shillelagh is a walking stick come club used for walking and, errr clubbing?

In the days before digital, computers, iPhones and all the rest, this is how you kept track of the date, by rotating the numbers and days around, each day.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood , steel

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 17cm high x 8cm wide

BUNRATTY, IRELAND – Dish

Bunratty Castle, Ireland - Nic Nac Dish (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Bunratty, Ireland

ITEM: Nic Nac Dish

NOTES: Bunratty or rather the 15th-century tower house in Bunratty Castle in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the centre of Bunratty village and is quite impressive and imposing. Too impressive for a nic nac tray perhaps.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: melamine

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: John Hinde

DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm x 13.5cm

IRELAND – Ornament

Ireland - Ornament - Harp (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Ireland

ITEM: Ornament

NOTES: “Natural Irish Crafts”. Only the Irish could get away with sculpting something (here a Celtic harp) out of turf, or rather peat bog, and selling it to tourists.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: turf

MADE IN:  Ireland

MANUFACTURER: Samhain Turf

DIMENSIONS: 19cm high x 13cm wide

Ireland - Ornament - Harp (4)     Ireland - Ornament - Harp (3)     Ireland - Ornament - Harp (2)

IRELAND – Mouse Pad

Ireland - Mouse Pad - Bannister  (1)ITEM: Mouse Pad

NOTES: A humorous leprechaun on a bannister … I’m not sure where the market is for this. But, there is nothing like a contemporary item with some 19th century stereotypes.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000

MADE FROM: plastic

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: Kiddiefun

DIMENSIONS: 22.5cm x  18.5cm

 

IRELAND – Ornament

Ireland - Irish Harp Minature (1)PLACE REPRESENTED:   Ireland

ITEM: Ornament

NOTES: A ornamental Irish Harp. The Irish Harp is one of the most famous of all Irish instruments.  The sticker on the back reads “The history of the Irish Harp is carved into the standing stones of Celtic Ireland.  Immortalised in bardic poetry and manuscripts dating back to 540AD.  Island Turf Crafts have recreated the harp in turf cut from Irish boglands”. Island Turf Crafts gifts are hand crafted using 5,000 year old Irish peat from some of Europe’s oldest bog lands.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s

MADE FROM: Peat

MADE IN:  Ireland

MANUFACTURER: http://www.islandturfcrafts.com

DIMENSIONS: 18cm high x 10cm at it’s widest

IRELAND – Place Mats

Ireland - Placemats (16)

PLACE REPRESENTED:   Ireland

ITEM: Trivet or Plate place mats.

NOTES: Beautiful plate place mats (they are not big enough for plate and cutlery), trivet or pot stands depicting Ireland in all it’s 1960s beauty.

Was Ireland ever like this? Of course it was and is … you just have to look a little harder sometimes.

Made in England though!

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood, cork, material

MADE IN:  England

MANUFACTURER: Win-El-Ware

DIMENSIONS: 15cm  x 15cm (each)

Ireland - Placemats (10)  Ireland - Placemats (9)  Ireland - Placemats (8)Ireland - Placemats (7)  Ireland - Placemats (6)  Ireland - Placemats (5)

IRELAND – Religious Ornament

Ireland - Ceramic Celtic Cross (1)

PLACE REPRESENTED:   Ireland

ITEM: Religious Ornament

NOTES: St Brigid’s cross specific to Ireland.

It is traditionally made from rushes or straw and it is believed that a Brigid’s Cross protects the house from fire and evil. Accordingly, it is hung in many Irish and Irish-American kitchens for this purpose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid’s_cross

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2004

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN:  Ireland

MANUFACTURER: Knock Pottery

DIMENSIONS: 17cm by 17cm