As Adare Manor braces up for the Ryder Cup in September 2027, plans are already in hand to deal with the thousands of spectators expected to attend one of the world’s great sporting events. The team overseeing the 700 staff at the hotel have already travelled to New York to see the Ryder Cup in action, and gain insight into the operational challenges it will demand of the 840-acre Limerick estate.
In the meantime, visitors can tee off in a stylish boutique at the hotel run by Deirdre Moore offering a mix of everything from clothes, accessories and artisan homewares to toys, walking sticks, rare Irish whiskeys and colourful French bowties. Fragrances include Aqua de Parma and Memo, the latter co-founded by Irish man John Molloy, a brand soon to branch into bath oils, shampoos and soaps to be stocked in hotel bedrooms.
Under Moore’s guiding hand, Irish fashion plays a significant role with many items specially commissioned from brands such as Ériu Irish wool sweaters, Cayo alpaca knitwear from Kilmallock, Moon & Mellow sleepwear, Kindred of Ireland’s luxury linens, Paula Rowan gloves and Jack Murphy tweeds alongside international labels. “Guests are drawn to Irish craftsmanship and learning about the makers or the heritage behind a piece,” says Moore, a buyer with a sophisticated eye.
It was a chance meeting between Sarah Murphy (granddaughter of Jack Murphy who founded the Skerries outerwear business in 1973), Adare’s manager, Brendan O’Connor, and Moore that led to a collaboration on a capsule collection of four coat and blazer designs made exclusively for the boutique. Masterminded by Sarah’s father Michael Murphy, the idea was to create tweeds using Irish wool that reflected the Irish landscape and Adare. “We were already stocked in the boutique, but we were asked to do something different, something special,” she says.
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Working with Chris Weiniger of Donegal Yarns and colour consultant Nora McFadden, three distinctive blended yarns were created – a green called Emerald Glen that reflected the hotel’s extensive parklands, Atlantic Mist, a blue/grey capturing Ireland’s coastal moods, and a pink called Wild Burren Rose that draws on the Burren’s wild flowers like the Bloody Cranesbill, a shade which has since become a bestseller. “Nora asked us to look at the landscape and see how many shades of green we could identify,” Sarah says. “She could see many more than we could. She’s a real artist. I am learning a lot from her.”
Spun by Donegal Yarns and woven in herringbone by Molloy & Sons in Kilcar in a blend of Irish wool and merino, the details – iridescent linings, specially made buttons and a label telling the story of the collection and its commitment to Irish wool – make the collection stand out. “We had to get the weight and drape right, because if the fabric doesn’t drape, it doesn’t sell,” says Michael Murphy. “Those little details add up to what the collection is all about.”
The four signature silhouettes, ranging in price from €750 to €1,200, consist of Deirdre, a tailored three-quarter length coat; Grace, a military inspired jacket with brass buttons and high neckline (Sarah wore it with a tweed mini skirt at the launch); Mairéad, a mid-length three-button coat; and Nora, a fitted blazer.
“I call [the collection] modern heritage,” says Sarah. “Design and production in our small company takes two years before we even have a sample. There is always attention to detail and, yes, it is a classic look, but it is not just the fabric – it is how it is made, its thread, its buttons and there is endless quality control – it is about making something that works, sells and has the potential to last.”
The next stage will be a menswear collection. “We could not have done this without Adare, and Adare could not have done this without us,” says Michael.
