CELTIC GIFT GUIDE

Looking for that special something for that special someone this holiday season? We’ve got you covered with our annual Celtic Gift Guide!

The Claddagh
Peter Townsend

Legend has it that Richard Joyce, a Galway seafarer whom pirates had kidnapped and sold into slavery, originated the Claddagh symbol. While in North Africa Joyce learned the art of the goldsmith. When he was released, nothing could keep him from his beloved Galway where he returned and created the Claddagh ring. The Claddagh  may be worn as friendship, engagement or wedding rings. To signify friendship: place the ring anywhere on your right hand. Engagement: place the ring on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing outwards. Wedding: place the ring on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing inwards towards your heart. Claddagh Ladies, Medium – This ring also comes in 10k All White, 14k All White, 10k All Yellow, 14k All Yellow. Sizes range from 4 to 9.Claddagh Gents, Heavy – This ring also comes in silver, silver & 10k heart, 10k All White, 14k All White, 10k All Yellow, 14k All Yellow. Sizes range from 9 to 13. www.irishcollection.com

The Haggis
Stahly Haggis

No longer just a delicacy featured on Burns Night, haggis is becoming a dish eaten year round. Stahly Quality Foods of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland, produces several styles of award-winning haggis. Their Scotch Haggis, for example, is a blend of the finest lamb, oatmeal and spices. Another choice, the Royal Haggis, replaces the lamb with Scottish venison, giving it a distinctive, richly flavourful taste. Stahly also produces a Drambuie and Whisky Haggis as well as a vegetarian version. They even have available a Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, using turnips and potatoes in the recipe. The entire haggis range is produced in Scotland and comes canned whole in a synthetic skin, which retains the haggis as a traditional product with the convenience of a long shelf-life, no need for refrigeration and which is easily transported. The Stahly family name has been associated with fine food since 1923 when Fred Stahly Senior and his wife first opened a butcher shop on Kirkcaldy High Street in Fife. www.thehaggis.com

Tullamore Dew

In the last 10 years, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey has won 22 gold medals, gaining recognition from the International Spirits Challenge 2013, and The Irish Whiskey Masters 2010, among others. No wonder: the widely acclaimed, blended whiskey is known for its smooth and gentle complexity. Tullamore Dew Original is triple distilled and then aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks. The malt and pot still whiskey used in its creation gave the dram its distinctive citrus and spicy notes. Tullamore also produces a 12-year-old special reserve and a 10-year-old single malt. Additionally, Old Bonded Warehouse Whiskey is a bottling the distillery released to mark the reopening of the Tullamore D.E.W. visitor centre in 2012. This exclusively crafted batch can only be obtained at the building itself. The Phoenix is another special bottling celebrating the opening of Tullamore’s new distillery. The Phoenix is a medium-bodied whiskey with distinctive sherry notes. www.tullamoredew.com

Celtic Love Knot
The Blue Frogs Company

Show your eternal love this holiday season. Love knots have evolved over the years, but their beauty and universal appeal remains timeless. Their intricate and interwoven patterns create endless paths which have no beginning or end. The love knot symbolizes the never-ending cycle of life in love, friendship, faith and loyalty.  Beautifully hand-crafted one at a time from mahogany, each wood carving starts from an original drawing. Every step of the carving and finishing process is performed by hand, allowing for exquisite craftsmanship, quality and detail in every piece. As a final touch, the pieces are waxed with a French paste which enhances the handsome wood grain and provides a rich luster. Whether you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate your heritage or you’re trying to find that perfect gift for your loved one, this is a work of art to be treasured for generations. www.bluefrogscompany.com

Celtic Playing Cards
Culturlan

James Acken, a professor of medieval studies, is the mind behind Culturlan, a company that blurs the lines between education and entertainment. The firm’s latest offering is a deck of beautifully illustrated Celtic playing Cards. The Bicycle Celtic Myth Playing Cards celebrate the rich pantheon of mythological gods, goddesses and heroes. Acken designed and illustrated the cards. The combination of his academic background with his artistry provides him with the ability to produce images that are deeply informed by myth and long established traditions of story-telling. The cards include reproductions of various Celtic kings, queens and sages incorporated into the face cards. For instance, the Ace of Diamonds features the Stone of Scone, also known as the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny, which was used in the crowning of Scottish Kings, while the Ace of Hearts shows one of the most iconic of Celtic symbols, the cauldron. www.culturlan.com

Celtic Pendant Knot
Echoes of Erin

Nothing equals the enchantment or the intricacy of Celtic artwork. Echoes of Erin is a jewelry design and manufacturing company that sisters Connie Hatt and Vicki Haddon began in 2003. The company is located in New Brunswick, Canada’s scenic Passamaquoddy Bay. New Brunswick received large numbers of Irish immigrants in the 1700 and 1800s and one of the original suggestions for the province’s name was New Ireland. This particular knot is etched in copper, treated with a patina to preserve the warm chestnut tones, combined with brushed silver and finished with a gold accent strip. The continual looping of knot designs suggests themes of eternity and interconnectedness. Knots may have also been created to confuse evil spirits in much the same manner as the Native American dreamcatcher. Entirely handcrafted, the knot is a timeless gift to treasure for years to come. www.echoesoferin.com

Landscape Coffee Pot
Nicholas Mosse

This whimsical pottery “landscape” coffee pot from Nicholas Mosse holds six cups of your favourite java, allowing many friends to share. It can be used with filters, or you can just “jug” it, or dare we mention instant as an alternative. Nicholas Mosse’s love affair with pottery began more than 55 years ago when the sensuous beauty of clay and its possibilities captivated him at age seven. He met, married and fell in love with an American botanical artist who had been drawn to Ireland by her love of the Irish countryside. Drawn together by their craft and shared love of nature, in 1976, Nick and Susan, based in a small shed on the Mosse family land in Bennettsbridge County, Kilkenny formed their family business. Patterns are applied using an age-old tradition dating back to the 18th century. Every piece of Nicholas Mosse pottery undergoes a 20-step, hand-made process, while Susan Mosse is the creative force behind each original and distinctive pattern. www.nicholasmosse.com

Blue Round Irish Fairy Door
The Irish Fairy Door Company

“All you need to do is believe,” exhorts The Irish Fairy Door Company. “This is not a toy.” The company sells hand-crafted, wooden fairy doors made and decorated in Ireland. They come “sprinkled with a little magic and ready for your fairy to move in.” Each of the cute doors comes with its own key contained in a glass bottle. The doors are approximately 12 centimeters high and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. According to the company, once you’ve installed your door and registered your fairy’s name, the fairy will come to inhabit the door and will take possession of the key “as he or she needs to come and go a lot.” Fairies are secretive, so while you might never see your fairy, you are encouraged to write it letters and leave them outside the door. Whimsical and charming, the fairy door is certain to ignite your child’s imagination. www.theirishfairydoorcompany.com

Celtic Blue Collection
Island Stoneware

Prince Edward Island’s Island Stoneware company creates elegant, durable and unique tableware sets. The Celtic Blue Collection has a hand-incised Celtic knot on each piece of stoneware and features a blue-green glaze. The collection adds an interesting flair to any table setting. The dishes are oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe and chip and scratch resistant. The collection includes bowls, serving plates, goblets and a casserole dish. Cindy and Darryl Lentz, the couple behind Island Stoneware, have been creating for a number of years. Cindy started working in clay in the 1990s when she took a course the Deep River’s Potter’s Guild offered. In Kingston, Ontario she joined the CFB Kingston Pottery Club and further honed her skills and began taking part in local studio tours and artisan shows. Darryl refined his skills in tile and wheel work. Since then, they expanded to Island Stoneware and having been working side-by-side since. www.islandstoneware.ca

Gaelic Explorers
Expo Cruises and Tours

Here in the land of good Scotch and great golf, staggering natural beauty meets refined elegance in beautiful ports and exclusive marinas. Celebrate Scotland’s iconic past and lively future — from Edinburgh’s shops and cafes along the Royal Mile to the imposing Castle and graceful Crown Steeple of St. Giles. You’ll have an unusual opportunity to visit renowned Balmoral Castle, said to be Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite residence and rarely open to visitors. Stroll the still shores of Loch Ness and watch closely for signs of Scotland’s favorite sea creature. Explore the Ring of Brodgar, Scotland’s own ancient Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Orkney Islands. At Portrush, discover the imposing Giant’s Causeway or treat yourself to a visit to Ireland’s premiere distillery, Bushmill’s. As you cruise along the spectacular Antrim Coast toward the dramatic Isle of Man, be sure to collect your own stunning photographs. As you disembark in Dublin, celebrate the spirit of the Emerald Isle with a toast to Erin’s best. www.expo-cruises.com

Peter Stone Jewelry

If it’s good enough for Rihanna, the renowned pop singer, well then, you’ll settle won’t you? Peter Stone’s black snake ring showed up on the singer’s hand on the cover of Complex Magazine. It’s just one of hundreds of pieces of jewelry Peter Stone designs and manufactures. The company’s many artisans use the highest quality sterling silver available to create a variety of designs, encompassing such themes as animals, fairies and fantasy and pirates. Peter Stone is especially well known for its Celtic designs, producing both traditional and contemporary interpretations of Celtic symbols. Such beautiful works as Trinity Knots and Celtic Snakes are available as earrings and brooches. Peter Koslowski, the man behind Peter Stone, first became passionate about jewelry in the 1980s while working as an engineer in Sri Lanka, where he had the opportunity to come across an abundance of gems. In 1992, after educating himself in the art of jewelry, he opened The Peter Stone Company. www.peterstone.com

Onesies
Scott’s Highland Services

Onesies from Scott’s Highland Services Ltd. are the perfect way to dress the fledgling Irish or Scots in your life. These one-piece outfits for babies come adorned with slogans such as “I love haggis,” “Irish Princess,” and “O’baby.” But if that’s not enough of a statement, then you might want to get the Tartan Kilt Onesie, which is available in different sizes and tartans. The onesie snaps at the bottom in traditional fashion and has a kilt sewn onto it. Available tartans include Royal Stewart, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Black Watch. Beyond onesies, Scott’s Highland Services is your one-stop shop for everything Celtic. The online retailer stocks just about everything imaginable, from bagpipes and drums, to Highland dress and CDs and DVDs. www.scottshighland.com