Heritage Week: Celebrating Irish Traditions, Culture and Craft
Written by Ciaran Vipond on Aug 17, 2023 | 0 Comments
It's one of our favourite times of year here at My Irish Jeweler. August in Ireland is filled with music, fun, and festivals. A sort of last hurrah for the summer! And National Heritage Week, which runs each year in the third week of August, is one of the most eclectic and inspiring of the lot!
Heritage week
Started in 2005, the same year as My Irish Jeweler, National Heritage Week is a celebration of Ireland's natural, built, and cultural heritage. We are Irish heritage enthusiasts, so we’ve been delighted to see Heritage Week grow to become one of the largest events in Ireland’s cultural calendar.
With close to 2,000 mostly free events on offer, there is so much to inspire the next generation of heritage lovers and tradition keepers. So in honor of Heritage Week, we thought we would share some of the aspects of Irish Heritage that inspire us here at My Irish Jeweler.
Genealogy and Family Heraldry
The Butler Family Coat of Arms at Cahir Castle
It’s said that "one’s surname is one’s most important family heirloom" and we heartily agree. Some of our most personal and meaningful pieces are inspired by those celebrating their Irish heritage and family name.
Tracing your own Irish heritage can be a rewarding experience and has never been easier with the digitization of many historical records. Find out more about Irish Family names and tips to uncover the Irish roots in your family tree.
A map of Ireland showing the principal families of various kingdoms at the turn of the 17th century.
Storytelling and Folklore
Ireland has a bit of a reputation as a nation of storytellers. Here at My Irish Jeweler, we love telling the stories behind our designs, and even a few of our own personal stories. We are inspired by the rich tradition of storytelling in Ireland and our folklore, that gets to all the greatest hits - love, the weather, family, growth, giants, and even piracy!
The Children of Lir
Photo Credit: John Duncan (1914) Public Domain
Most of all we love hearing and sharing the wonderful stories we receive from people we work with around the globe who share our love of Irish heritage.
Our Built Heritage
Ireland boasts not one but two World heritage sites in the otherworldly Skellig Michael and the wondrous Newgrange. With castles, high crosses, and ogham stones around every turn, Ireland has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to built heritage.
The Clonmacnoise High Stone Cross, one of the finest of its kind
Photo Credit: Martin P. Whyte (CC BY-SA 4.0)
These awe inspiring places and artifacts have inspired some of our most popular designs including our Celtic High Crosses and our beautifully personal Ogham pieces.
A Heritage of Craft
And of course very close to home for us here at My Irish Jeweler is the ancient Irish tradition of metalwork. It would be hard not to be inspired by stunning bronze age torcs, or wonders of early Christian Ireland such as the Ardagh Chalice.
The small but mighty Ardagh Chalice on display at the National Museum of Ireland.
We are delighted to support this tradition of craft through our pieces inspired by these designs. We hope that they spark a flame in the next generation of heritage lovers and tradition keepers.
Our Ardagh Chalice ring inspired by the intricate metalwork of the ancient treasure.
Feeling inspired?
Perhaps you might share a story, song, or recipe with your nearest and dearest to celebrate Irish heritage wherever you are. Or you might be inspired to trace your own heritage. Let us know in the comments below!
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
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Ciaran Vipond
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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