The Many Colours of Adare
Monday 21 March 2011
The village of Adare in Co. Limerick with its extraordinarily picture postcard pretty thatched roofs has long been a destination for tourists and home visitors alike. At the heart of Adare is a very hard working and enterprising business community who, like the rest of the country, have had to cope in the past couple of years with recession but they have risen to the challenge, adapted to today’s requirements, have seen new businesses open, and are coming through it with flying colours.The gorgeous family owned 4 Star Dunraven Arms Hotel is at the heart of the community for all the special family occasions and where they are carried out with style and aplomb. Owned and run by consummate hoteliers, the Murphy family, Louis, Bryan and Hugh, the feel here is always very hands on, and of being in a lovely welcoming country house laden with antiques, oak panelled walls. Strong equestrian and hunting connections, complete the country house ambiance at Dunraven. Nothing is missed as formally attired staff welcome and greet guests, but always in such a friendly professional way that it is never intimidating, just gracious. Regular guests are recognized and welcomed back, visitors from America and elsewhere are made feel so much at home, their day’s happenings enquired of at dinner, future plans discussed at breakfast, which by the way includes their signature whole ham carved fresh in the diningroom, and they will be helped plan their day should they need guidance or recommendations. Food is always excellent in their atmospheric Maigue restaurant where I had a wonderful tartare of smoked salmon and fabulous roast beef carved in the dining room, whilst Brendan an equally superbly executed terrine followed by lamb, before retiring to the bar for a nightcap and banter with locals before hitting our big Four Poster bed in a lovely Junior Suite. There is also a fine Leisure Centre where we had a swim in the morning before setting off around Adare to see what was happening. It is a fabulous place for a break and they have been doing fantastic rates with 2 nights bed and breakfast and 1 dinner from €99 per person sharing – go and pamper yourself. These are the sort of family run hotels we need to cherish. Tel: (061) 396633 www.dunravenhotel.com
Opened just two weeks is Diego Florio and Zara Power’s eclectic new shop Florio’s which has a strong retro and artistic influence doing, not only top of the range to die for Italian Marchi kitchens, but hip furniture, clothes, jewellery, mirrors, lamps, chandeliers, painted furniture, and much much more. Diego is a kitchen designer. His father is Italian and his mother German, and he was brought up in Argentina in a world of design, as his mother is an Interior Designer. Zara, who is from Adare, has a Masters in Art History from Trinity College. She has been interning at the National Museum but “couldn’t get a job” so she decided to do something for herself in conjunction with Diego in a new quirky shed style premises on Station Road which is divided over two big rooms. “I have a clear vision of what I want in my head. There are no boundaries – just whatever takes my fancy. I want to promote artisan makers of jewellery, clothes, furniture, and I want to keep prices down. I have also been talking to art students from the Limerick College, so I will have lots of their work in here also.” Zara showed me very beautiful devore Art Nouveau Bohemian style jackets in wonderful colours which she came across in London, and which were selling for €45 and €65, which to my mind is an absolute steal. There was lots of retro kitchenware, but dramatic crystal tiebacks in clear and funky colours, and a little Mad Hatter picture caught my eye. She also had a range from Welligogs, a UK based clothing company, who do young country style form fitting tweed jackets and wax coats - which are apparently favoured by Kate Middleton. These are priced around €350/€390. Diego told me that Marchi kitchens are tailor made, and take 4/6 months to produce in a factory just outside Milan. They really are absolutely fabulous. Lush and glamorous, yet understated, the timeless design is based on Louis X1V chests with the big ‘belly’ and curved legs combining solid oak, stainless steel, grey white marble, and pewter. Asking Diego how he found sales of kitchens in these times, he replied. “In the good times builders never came near me because my kitchens are for people who want dream kitchens. This kitchen is a different story because people who can afford this kitchen are really beyond recession if they want the house of their dreams.” Marchi also customise kitchens, which can look 200 years old, and their Di Alma pewter range is, according to Diego, the most popular seller in Italy. The pewter handles alone are handmade only for Marchi. I have to say if I won the lottery….. Diego and Zara can be contacted on Tel: 087 617-4354 www.floriosfurnitureshop.com
We all know that Limerick ladies are noted for their glamour and style and, at the heart of the glamour and style, is Kay Mulcaire, who has two boutiques in the village – Isobel’s and K’s. Kay Mulcaire, from Rathkeale, has been in the fashion business for 15 years and opened her K’s Boutique in Adare six years ago doing daytime and casual clothing. She opened her second boutique Isobel’s in Adare four years ago which is an absolute cocoon of glamour with amazing clothes for weddings and special occasions. “I am delighted with it. “ she says. “We have a good range from size 6 to size 20, and so, the way I see it, both mother and daughter can go shopping together and both find something stunning here.” She showed me a gorgeous white Valentino coat which as she says could be worn to a wedding and then afterwards more casually over jeans. Kay knows what she is about. “The change with the recession means people are not impulse buying but they are still buying, and we were up this February on last year. We are very happy with our season and if it continues….” At Isobel’s Kay stocks Valentino Red, Ann Louise Roswald, Oki Koki,Versace Jeans Couture, lots of glamorous stuff, and beautiful jewellery from Copenhagen. Isobel’s Tel: (061) 395476 www.isobel.ie
Towards the top of the main street on the left, I came across Serendipity, a cute little shoe boutique owned by the delightful Elaine Cronin who has adapted her business very successfully to the times. “I opened in September 2008, at a bit of a mad time, but I am so glad some nice bank manager decided to support me.” She laughed. This was Elaine’s first fashion venture. “There were fabulous boutiques in Adare but no shoe shops to complement them.” says Elaine. A lot of her business would be for weddings, mums of the bridal couple, guests and bridesmaids. She likes to stock mid height heels for ladies who don’t want “skyscrapers” but she also does full glamour too. Originally doing just shoes, the shop has grown now to stocking jewellery, headpieces, bags, and “the whole lot.” Elaine is originally from Limerick but grew up and went to school in Cork. She has lived everywhere from America to Australia, and all over the country. She has always been in sales of all sorts from Diageo to Concrete products. “I love people and I love selling.” She ended up back in Limerick six years ago with Diageo and was covering West Limerick and Kerry, and so, she bought a house nearby in Croom. “I was down in the hairdressers in Spring 2008 and someone said that this premises was becoming available and, I said to myself, there’s an opportunity if ever there was one, on the main street in Adare! She opened in Sept 2008 the month Lehman Brothers collapsed. “We had a very strong two years but last winter 12 months was a bit tough due to weather, but I really really concentrated on what my ladies wanted and bought accordingly. So it works. I have built up a fantastically good local business and also from around the country. People come down to Serendipity from Galway and Mayo, and Munster would be a huge supporter of Adare. November 2010 was really tough going, it just bottomed out, and so, my buying habits had to change, my prices had to change. Whereas before, whilst ladies were obviously looking at prices, it wasn’t as much of a deal, now it is very price driven. Our average shoe price when I opened two and a half years ago would have been maybe €140 – €160 whereas now customers are looking at spending €80- €120. What I do try and do is different styles, and good quality different brand names, so that people know when they come in here they are going to get something different, and value. We have a little dressing room and we encourage the ladies to bring their full outfits, so they are not just trying on the shoes and wondering will it or won’t it suit or match the outfit . Ladies can then see the complete look from head to toe. I also try and do as many co-ordinating handbags as possible, so you don’t end up trawling the country looking for a bag or jewellery to match, we try and send them out of here with everything that they need. I go to two trade fairs a year – London and Milan. Milan is mind blowing with thousands of exhibitors. Most of my shoe are Italian or Spanish but I also have two very fab labels from Brazil because Brazil are beginning to emerge with better quality and they are a little bit quirky.” I think that is why I am succeeding at the moment. People want something different and they want value for money. Tel: (061) 395531 www.serendipityadare.ie
One of the many longstanding shops in Adare is Richard Curtin’s lovely Country Dresser, which he says opened 16 years ago about the same time as the big Clonshire Equestrian Centre. The Country Dresser is a one-stop shop for a wide range of outdoor clothing stocking the very best in traditional country clothing including the Barbour and Musto ranges and the vibrant Joules range. They have fabulous boots and great Tattersall shirts and a big range of children’s gear. Richard also says that nowadays “price now is the biggest thing, price is number one, the discretionary spend has been reduced. With horseriding and outdoor pursuits having been reduced, people are not buying that extra jacket this year.” However, he says, “children’s wear is still very strong, Grannies and uncles and aunts come in and buy clothes once they realize the children are into horseriding because they know they will get the use out of them – Barbour too is very strong.” Tel: (061) 396915<ep>
Whether you want clothes, shoes, antiques, jewellery, gifts, riding attire, saddlery, you will find it in Adare and have a jolly good time doing so too
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON MARCH 20, 2011.