This year, Newstalk has teamed up with Guaranteed Irish to make Christmas all about supporting local enterprises.
Each week on Lunchtime Live, Newstalk’s Irish Christmas Guide will be packed with ideas for gifting, decorations, and festive fare – all from Irish-based businesses.
This week, Andrea was joined by a range of businesses offering great ideas on gifts for friends this Christmas.
Yolo Print
The owner of Yolo Print Mike Fitzpatrick said his Galway-based business designs bespoke postcards and prints that could make the perfect gift for a friend this festive season.
He described his range of 70 prints depicting iconic locations in the West of Ireland as “colourful and quirky”.
“I would have a range for Inishmore, the Aran Islands, the Spanish Arch and other locations," said Mr Fitzpatrick.
“The idea is to keep expanding into Kerry, Cork and the Wild Atlantic Way in general.”
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The popular prints range from postcards to large prints in size.
“I didn’t think that Irish people would buy them as much as they have been when I first started, as opposed to visitors to Ireland, but they do,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.
“People who may have been living in Cork for the last 30 years but are originally from Galway, for example, buy them as a little reminder of home.”
Kybalion Jewellery
Jewellery maker Jewellery Rebecca Singleton said the products she makes for Kybalion Jewellery are unique and offer something different for that special someone this Christmas.
“I use sustainable brass, bead-weaving techniques and polymer clay,” she said.
“Each item is quite diverse and I use a combination of ancient and contemporary techniques.
“Each piece is different and some of them are even one-off meaning that nobody else would have it!”
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Ms Singleton adds that her business offers a personal touch to jewellery that other mass-produced brands cannot.
Kybalion Jeweller also has limited-time-only Christmas items on sale now.
The Book Resort
Looking for a gift for a friend in need of some self-love? The Book Resort has you covered with their luxurious gift boxes!
Managing Director Aisling Finn said the boxes can be bought on a once-off basis or as part of a subscription service.
“We ship out lovely boxes full of books, chocolate, hand cream, body lotion, face masks and that type of stuff,” she said.
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Ms Finn started the business five years ago and is helped by her daughter and son.
“The majority of our purchases are for gifts and Christmas can be a fairly manic time for us! We’re after building up a good customer base over the last few years,” she said.
The Managing Director guaranteed “quality stuff delivered really quickly in Ireland” for anyone interested in purchasing a box.
UPiLOT Flight Simulator
Another potentially quirky and fun experience that could be gifted to a friend this Christmas is a voucher to UPiLOT Flight Simulator in Swords, Dublin.
Flight simulation specialist John Paul said the business offers a range of exciting experiences that have gone down extremely well as gifts in the past.
“We operate a flight simulator centre in Dublin. We offer flight experiences to the general public and also provide pilot training,” he said.
“We offer the public the chance to come in and see what it’s like to fly a jet. An instructor will give you a brief and you get to land at different airports around the world.”
Mr Paul said it’s a nice gift idea as “you’re offering someone a unique experience they wouldn’t have thought of on their own”.
