Ireland Travel, Irish Gifts, Celtic Symbols, Irish Festivals and News

The coin ceremony at weddings is believed to have originated from Latin. It is performed after the exchange of rings. This tradition started during the Victorian era. There is an old English poem that represents the tradition as:

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

The poem basically describes the wedding coin ceremony and the importance of the coins. The coins in the poem symbolize a good luck token for the bride. It is believed that she would have a happy married life if she carries all of these on her wedding day. “Something old” in the poem represents continuity of the past relationships of the bride with her family. “Something new” symbolizes her forthcoming relationships and wishes for a happy life ahead. “Something borrowed” is used to represent that the bride can depend on her family and friends during difficult times. Also, it is believed that “something borrowed” represents the good fortune in a happy married life of a friend is carried over by the bride. Read More.. »

Everyone will enjoy this two piece kitchen gift set, featuring kitchen tea towel and matching pot holder, with shamrock pattern and recipe for Irish coffee.  Made of 100% cotton, usually ships within 48 hours.

$9.99 USD.

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What a great way to show off your Celtic heritage!  This embroidered patch features a trio of hounds and is adapted from the Book of Kells, St. Matthew Gospel, “Liber Generationis”, or the book of generations.  It measures 2.5″ in diameter and can be sewn or ironed on.  There are four designs to choose from, and a descriptive card accompanies each patch.

$6.00 CDN each, or all four designs for $20.00.

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This popular Chocolicious Basket is an absolute favorite!  Contents include chocolate biscuits, cookies, and candies that chocoholics of all ages can enjoy.  Free shipping, too!

Basket contains the following:  Grandma Wild’s Dark Chocolate Ginger Biscuits, Bizzy Lizzy Chocolate-Coated Raisins, Chocolate Box Collection, Lily O’Briens Sticky Toffee Chocolate Bar, Butler’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Box, Butler’s Dark Almond Bar, Wicklow Fine Foods Chocolate Chippins, Wicklow Fine Foods Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread, Celtic Chocolates After Dinner Collection, and Celtic Chocolates Extra Fine Bar.

Available for shipment to Ireland only, $95.99.

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The Celtic Cross is an iconic symbol of the Celtic Christian world. The symbol combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. This was often combined with the Christian cross and used for high crosses – the richly decorated free-standing crosses made of stone. These Crosses tend to be decorated with interlace and other motifs from Insular art and had grown beyond its original use in the British Isles.

These Crosses pop up on buildings, jewelry, and are used from funerals to weddings. This specific one depicted has taken a different route; having the symbol cast on cast metal appearing as an artifact.

This item is available for €14.95.

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This ‘Best Irish Dribbler’ baby’s bib will have even the littlest wee one routing for your football (soccer to Americans) team this season! This bib is done up all in green with a cute smiling ball on the front with the phrase written in big white lettering. The trim is also in white and snaps in the back of the baby’s head.

This bib is an official FAI product and will grab even the youngest football fan! Weather at a live game or watching from home, each big will sure to show off the little one’s in house pride!

This official Ireland FAI green baby dribbler is available for $10.99.

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Looking for a cute item for that special woman in your life? Well here is a personalized key ring that has a long list of names available. This key chain depicts the Claddagh in pewter with great detail around the crown and hands. The center heart has a shamrock picture inside. The whole thing is ringed around by a simple scrolling motif.

At bottom contains a space for a name of your choosing – from ‘Abbie’, to ‘Shawna’ to even ‘Mum’ can be etched onto the space given.

Each ring comes with a hoop for keys and knickknacks and are available for €3.99.

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This concise self titled guide to creating a Celtic wedding is full of tips and information to make a wedding day memorable and very Irish. The booklet is attractively packaged and outlines the customs and traditions, toasts and blessings of the Celts as well as packed with explanations of Celtic symbols.

This booklet ‘Creating A Celtic Wedding’ is the companion book to ‘The Traditional Irish Wedding’. Both of these together provide all the information necessary to confidently and accurately incorporate many of the finest of the old traditions.

This guide, Creating A Celtic Wedding is available for $4.50.

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This Claddagh Circle Pin Badge is a great accessory that adds to any outfit weather traditional Irish garb, to a dressy outfit, or just a cute pin for casual wear. The epoxy-domed metal pin depicting Claddagh symbol over a circle of Celtic knots (approximately 20mm or 3/4in in diameter) brightly pops in green and gold.

The pin is reminiscent of a pin clasp in style; the symbol of love, loyalty and friendship is an uplifting visual message to those that look upon it.

This cute pin is available for $2.99.

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This combination pewter/epoxy shamrock Claddagh key ring will make even the most jumbled of key chains look neater with Irish flair. The key chain comes with a combination large shamrock with a smaller Claddagh in the middle; the heart in the middle is shaded green in homage to the shamrock’s color.

The shamrock itself measures about 1.75 x 1.75 inches not including the key ring hoop. This small gift also comes inside an attractive gift box. This key ring will not only arrange your keys neater but also remind you every time you grab a key of your Irish pride.

The small trinket is available for $9.95.

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This cute little lamb would make a great friend for your wee one to hold during play time or nap time. This soft and cute Irish lamb comes with a brightly colored scarf and stands at 6” tall. It is child safe and has a small little shamrock branded on his bum.

The short stubbly legs and curly wool gives the look of a lamb roaming the countryside; but this one can roam along with anyone!

This soft little lamb makes a beautiful Irish present for anyone at only £3.57

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This Irish Dancer toy is the perfect gift for that Irish dancer and fan alike in your life! The soft toy is of a cute read head in a vibrant green dress with stitched in details. The dancer sparkles with green details like her bright emerald green eyes and hair ties and has painted on blush and lip stick. She can stand on her own as well not needing a support to stand or sit atop a table or book shelf.

This cutie can be purchased for £6.10.

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This check tweed trough is handmade by the famous crafter and master weaver Eddie Doherty. Measuring over 4 x 6 ft and weighing about 4 lbs this colorful throw is completely handmade with hand-twisted tassels at each end. Each throw is weaved on an antique loom in the traditional technique by one of the last remaining hand weavers in County Donegal, Eddie Doherty. Even the wool used is local to the County.

Each throw is very soft and thick and made by the hands of a man that since the age of 16 has learned warping, weaving, and all aspects of the wool trade.

This throw is available for $148.76.

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Here for a look is the quintessential classic flat cap. This hat is made with Co. Donegal tweed, with a snap closure on the brim. Black tweed is woven in a subtle stripe pattern with flecks of color woven in to give it a ‘rich look’. Weaver Eddie Doherty spins the wool used in this cap from an antique loom that is later sewn into these high quality hats by a company in Galway.

This iconic flat cap, (also variously called a “cloth cap”, “golf cap”, “driving cap”, “Windsor cap”, ect.), is a round, soft men’s cap with a small brim in front and a somewhat stiff peak in the back and has graced heads since the 14th century.

You can purchase this hat from Doherty’s site for €30.00.

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Here’s another item for people looking for wedding decorations – a wedding pewter Claddagh Unity candle holder. It doesn’t come with candles but any type of candle would look great in this set. Made by Mullingar, this pewter holder is Irish made using traditional methods. Instead of a mass produced item this holder is produced in their workshop by Irish men and women, each worker trained in the old casting methods.

Each one is meticulous hand assembled and undergoes delicate finishing by hand made in Ireland. This holder can hold a custom candle and add elegance to a wedding party or dinning table for many years onward.

This holder costs $125.00 In which your paying for not only its beauty but the intricate process that produces the holder.

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Want a neat keepsake aside from the standard gift shop variety? Well here’s something neat; a Hurley, (a camán in the Irish tongue) or Hurley stick used in the Irish sport of Hurling. Like footballs and baseballs in the US, Hurley sticks are used often as a means to collect and preserve signatures or portraits of various persons in sports.

These Hurley sticks specifically are made with a range of important persons featured, highlighting the great Irish figures from Irish past. The men and women who promoted Irish culture and helped to shape modern Ireland are the main highlights of this line. On the Hurley is a picture of the figure and a short biography about their life and achievements.

You can choose which figure you would like on your Hurley starting from €36.99 (USD $47.02).

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Looking for Irish made pottery to use or display around the home? Where here is a genuine, handmade by Irish hands bowl. This small pottery bowl is made by Paul Maloney – a well known master craftsman who has worked in the craft pottery industry for thirty years.

He brings earth, hand and fire together in every piece he crafts. His new range of contemporary gift ware and tableware, the ‘Ocean’ set includes this small bowl. The mix of blue along with the natural clay color pops clearly on each piece.

This artisan made by hand bowl is available for €8.95.

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Understanding Celtic symbols isn’t as daunting as taking up a degree and years of education (though if your interest is that high don’t let anyone stop you!). This small pamphlet can ease you into the better known meanings for the symbols used by the Irish, Scots and English Celts. Each symbol tells though picture the history of the Celtic Nations. Each group all had similar but distinctive symbols and variations on them.

This pamphlet will briefly explain the most common and iconic symbols that are known throughout Celtic and world culture. A very extended bibliography comes with the pamphlet to help the student further their understanding of the Celts and their symbols.

This set is only $4.50 and has free shipping included.

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Irish Diplomacy. So simply put and yet effective. On this fridge magnet it says ‘The art of telling a man to go to Hell so that he looks forward to making the trip.’ The spicy saying shows the up front way Irish state things in that brash gruff way. This magnet is a tribute to a people who doesn’t mince words when it comes to their opinion.

This would be a cute gift for that outspoken, rowdy person in your life, or a not so subtly hint on how you run things on your refrigerator door.

This fun little saying can grace your fridge for $4.00.

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Have a cute wee one or one on the way? This cute onesie would look great on a bouncing baby girl with the saying ‘Tis Herself printed along its front with a small shamrock. It would made a great baby shower gift. But if your little darling is a bit past the newborn stage don’t worry. It comes in sizes 0 up to 18 months. It has 100% cotton snap closures.

The small bundle in your arms or in the arms of friends and family can with a beautiful smile show the world Irish happiness and health.

This cute onesie is available for $12

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‘As you slide down the banister of life may the splinters never point the wrong way!’ What a great saying to live by! This Irish Blessing tea-towel is sure to get a chuckle and inspire one to have a positive day. With the happy Leprechaun sliding down the (hopefully with and not against the splinters!) banister this tea towel is certain to get a smile out of your guests.

This towel would also make a great gift wishing friends and family luck and happiness in life. Just avoid the splinters!

This cute and happy tea towel is available for £5.35.

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The Celtic Ruana is a garb that echoes back the Celtic past and yet is still worn today. This garment is beautiful example of classic Celtic design, having been apart of the Celtic culture for hundreds of years. This garment is both comfortable yet stylish, and made with material that is both fine and strong (85% lamb’s wool and 15% nylon). It comes in one size, but people of all body types will look great in it. It hangs from the neck down the back (about 32″).

This Celtic Ruana is available in an array of colors for only $125.98.

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Want to include that lovable dog into your Irish fun? Or do you have a dog lover who also loves everything Irish? Well then this leash will be a great fit. From an Irish bulldog to a Pekingese this cute and stylish collar will fit any breed of canine. This stylish brown leash has small metal shamrock accents all over it. Its 49″ long with a nifty loop handle. Note that is designed in Ireland so that authentic Irish flair all over it came straight from the Isle.

This cute collar is available for your (or a friend’s) loyal K9 for $18.00.

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This cute mug is for all those that dance and their fans! This embossed Irish dancer mug is white with green lining the inside. A Irish dancer is embossed on either side of the mug, dancing with gusto. The smaller dancer has the greeting ‘Good Luck from Ireland’ written underneath her.

Inside the mug has ‘Ireland’ embossed inside surrounded with shamrock details. Not surprisingly this item is made in Dublin, Ireland. This cute mug would bring cheer to anyone invested in dance as well as a refreshing drink after a hard practice!

This fun mug would be a great gift for any dancer or fan of Irish dance for only $12.00!

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Whenever any piece of crystal is preceded by ‘Waterford Crystal’, you know it is of high quality. This 9 inch (it’s also available in 5 inches) Bowl from Waterford Crystal’s Dolmen Collection is of no exception. The Dolmen is one of the most enduring symbols of Celtic heritage. This set that this bowl is apart of is named for the massive boulders of solid stone that mark the graves of those left behind. These markers dot the rich Irish landscape as a remembrance to them and in remembrance of ancient times.

This highly sought after and well crafted piece is priced at $159.18.

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