Mother’s Day is just around the corner – and you’d better not forget it. Lockdown means you can’t celebrate it as you would like to on March 14th, but that doesn’t mean the big day for the Irish mammy should go unmarked. Here are some ideas for where to go, for everything from swanky candles and soaps to boozy hampers and afternoon tea chauffeur-driven straight to her front door.
Meadows & Byrne With beauticians' and hairdressers' doors closed, the Meadows & Byrne folk reckon all the mams out there might fancy a bit of pampering, so they've expanded their collection of Irish beauty products.
Gifted from Ireland An online marketplace featuring more than 200 Irish brands, with all sorts of ways to show the love, including My Name Is Ted leather cross-body bags, Orwell & Browne's tweed notebook collection, Garrett Mallon jewellery, Sandia's funky sustainably made necklaces, Fab Cow prints, Moon + Mellow's 2021 pyjama collection, and Dublin Herbalists skincare products.
Jando This husband-and-wife printmaking studio in Smithfield, Dublin, specialises in architecture- and landmark-themed screenprints. This year they want everyone to treat the mother figure in their life to a piece of vibrant art that commemorates the shared love of locations we hold dear that we can't actually visit.
Alanna Plekkenpol This site's Mother's Day-themed tiles, which are intended as home decoration, come with nifty invisible hanging systems (with optional wooden stand), or in high-quality frames with a navy velour backing.
Carraig Donn This site has a section for Mother's Day presents, all boxed up and ready to go. All you have to do is pay for them. Prices for the bundles start from just under €40.
Mimi+Martha This mother-and-daughter team, who probably know a thing or two about Mother's Day celebrations, have all manner of things your ma might like in their dedicated gift guide, featuring work by more than 40 makers and designers. You'll find tasty food, gifts, homewares and lifestyle items.
Stuff U Need!! This site is going big on Mother's Day, bringing together themed treats from Eaton 6W, including prosecco-fuelled waffle and chicken boxes for breakfasts in bed (sure what else would you be doing of a Sunday morning?) and meaty and veggie meal kits from Box Burger, Uno Pizza and Wing-It, as well as all manner of after-dinner delights.
Avoca There is a huge range of products here, from food to fancy throws.
Boxable This lovely site sells locally sourced products with all manner of fabulous things for your mammy, your mammy's mammy, your baby's mammy or anyone who you hold dear.
Market Street There's a big range of timely presents to be found on this site, which features the work of more than 100 Irish makers and designers.
Finders Keepers If you're stuck for present ideas, these folk will surely find you something lovely.
Wild Atlantic Living Bath salts, mugs, candles, cards, Ellie Elephant wine bottle stoppers, you know yourself. When we last looked, this site had 17 pages of Mother's Day presents.
Green Dot This Clonakilty-based shop will let you design a "bespoke gift box for a special woman on Mother's Day. We have selected beautiful Irish-made pieces that have been made with great care and thought. We will wrap your gift beautifully in our planet- and people-friendly gift box, handwrite your card and send it straight to your loved one."
My Shop... Granny Likes It We love the names of the Mother's Day bundles on this site. You have the My Mammy Is Better Than Your Mammy package, the Sure She's the Best Mammy Ever package and, our favourite, the I'm the Favourite Child Aren't I Mammy? package. It scarcely matters what's in the bundles – although rest assured it is all lovely.
Chou's Cottage This craft shop in Clonmel sells handmade gifts from small Irish companies, with many of them focused on the big day ahead.
Mamas Hospital Bag For the new mama in your world, this lovely site features beautifully packaged luxury gifts for mothers and babies from Irish brands such as Voya, Foxford, and Moon + Mellow. The site also has some Irish-only gift bundles.
Cuando As the site says, "spoil her like she deserves this Mother's Day with this fabulous range of unique and thoughtful Mother's Day gifts. All created with love by makers and designers around Ireland. You're sure to find something to suit the special lady in your life, whether it's your own mum, your partner, your mother-in-law, a mum-to-be or a mum that you admire."
The Kind Lovely site stocked by dozens of local businesses, with loads of Mother's Day-themed gifts to choose from, with everything ecofriendly and ethically sourced.
Love in a Box This company wants "to spread love and joy by delivering an amazing experience to the people receiving our gifts". The focus on this occasion are the mammies of Ireland, and the ones who get presents from these people will be lucky so they will.
The Westbury The fancy Dan five-star central-Dublin hotel has a Sweet Afternoon Tea at Home experience, complete with the hotel's signature teacups and saucers, an exclusive Westbury tea blend, and an "incomparable selection of scones and homemade desserts". The cost starts at €120 for two, to include tea, scones and pastries, plus two teacups and saucers. Flowers, candles and bubbles can be added for a bit more, and it can all be delivered by a "personal chauffeur service" within 10km of the hotel for an extra €10.
Gourmet Tart Co This site's hampers start at €35. There's the Mother's Day Luxury Breakfast Hamper, the Mother's Day Breakfast Hamper and the Mother's Day Treats Hamper. Along with the lovely food, each hamper comes with a specially commissioned illustration of a mother and child by local artist Lara Luxardi, with a handwritten message. In the Mother's Day Luxury Breakfast Hamper, Tatiana Dobos has created a limited-edition porcelain jam dish. And there are Gourmet Tart Co charity socks, emblazoned with distinctive coffee cups and croissants, with the proceeds donated to Women's Aid.
Pudding Row This site's Mother's Day Comfort Kit (€70 including delivery nationwide) includes macaroons, a diffuser, a caramel square, a Cointreau and pistachio brownie, a handwritten card with rose-gold letterpress "Máthair" by Donegal designer Maggie Marley, an assortment of homemade shortbread, a pouch of granola, and loose-leaf tea by Wall & Keogh. They had us at macaroons, to be honest.
Winelab After the year we've had, wine might be the perfect present for the mammy in your life. This Irish supplier of small-batch wines has created an offering that includes one of their wines, a spring wreath and a Mother's Day card. You also have the option of some delicious Butlers Chocolates, for €80, or an Airs & Grazes grazing board, for €95.
Lough Erne Resort We might not be able to stay in hotels, but Lough Erne Resort is promising a little bit of its luxury spa experience in the comfort of your own homes. Its Mother's Day gift box includes a plush embroidered dressing gown, a lemongrass candle and a selection of pampering products from ESPA Skincare.
Metropole Hotel Another hotel with a special Mother's Day package, including afternoon tea with a luxury Somas candle hand-poured in Cork.
Cork International Hotel A Mother's Day brunch is on offer to treat mums to breakfast in bed, with pancakes, bacon, fresh strawberries, orange juice and prosecco. The brunch will come packaged with a hand-tied bunch of wild lavender.
The Dunraven The Dunraven Arms Hotel, in Adare, Co Limerick, has a €50 gourmet gift box that includes shortbread biscuits, homemade chocolate-chip cookies, tomato relish, a hazelnut-and-sea-salt chocolate bar, and a beehive cocktail made with Cork Dry Gin, honey, lemon juice and orange juice.
Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort has an afternoon tea available this Mother's Day, for collection only. You can expect a selection of savoury and sweet treats, presented to enjoy at home, for €42 per person (rising in price if champagne or prosecco is included). Call the hotel before March 7th on 01-2870877 to arrange collection on the big day.
Sophie's Sophie's at the Dean can now be Sophie's at your house. With prices starting at €99, it is offering a three-course meal for four people. There is a honey, goat's cheese and sundried-tomato focaccia bruschetta to start, followed by a choice of mains including beef, lamb and chicken, personalised Happy Mother's Day tiramisu cake and a petit-fours box.
Stillgarden Distillery Stillgarden, the Dublin 8 independent and experimental distillery, has a range of gift boxes, including the Boss Lady, for €55, which includes a bottle of gin; and Mum's Ultimate Cocktail Box, for €70, choosing from Cosmo, Spent-spresso Martini, and Raspberry Soiree; you also get two 200ml Stillgarden mini cocktails.
Bar 1661 For Mother's Day, this bar has teamed up with the Australian organic vermouth brand Regal Rogue to launch a selection of four cocktails presented in a limited-edition set with messages to Mum on each label. Each of the four 200ml bottles contain two serves; the bundle is priced at €60, with a tote bag and free nationwide shipping included.
