Inside the jewellery store perched on the corner of Main Street in Clifden you’ll find more than sparkling gemstones and beautiful rings. Here, there are stories carved into jewellery, landscapes captured in precious stones, museum replicas of swords and axes, and a family legacy that stretches back half a century. Read all about O'Dálaigh Jewellers here..
From the Sacred Trees of Ireland to the rugged cliffs of Connemara, inspiration is everywhere. Upstairs, in a newly created consultation space, customers can sit down with jeweller Jonathan Ó Dálaigh and turn a memory, a landscape or an idea into something completely their own.
For the O’Dálaigh family, jewellery has long been a family affair. Jonathan's parents began with humble beginnings, trading at local markets before moving into wholesaling and eventually establishing a retail presence at the Cliffs of Moher and in Clifden.
Jonathan and his sister Johanna grew up around it all. As a child, Jonathan’s summer holidays were spent helping in the workshop and travelling with his mother to markets. He later left school after the Junior Cert to develop his practical and creative skills in Kilkenny before returning to Clifden, where he eventually took over the family business. “I think I was lucky to have it and learn so much from a young age, and they were lucky to have me carry it on,” he says.
Jonathan's father was a self-taught jeweller, while his mother played an equally important role behind the scenes. Together, they built a business, and a family, around creativity, love, hard work and bringing people together. “Work hard and embrace life to the fullest,” Jonathan says of his parents. “They really loved bringing people together and were very creative. Me and my sister were so lucky to have the kind and caring parents we had, they deserved so much more time here than they got.”
Old photographs, pieces created by his father and memories of the business through the years form part of the story of the shop. His parents' creative spirit is also reflected in the jewellery itself, from their early designs inspired by the Book of Kells and Irish artefacts to the contemporary collections being created today.
The family's story has also been woven into the design of one of the shop's exterior walls, inspired by his parents and their life together. Rather than being a sombre memorial, it celebrates their story, personalities, creativity and the joy they brought to others. ‘I found my wings in Connemara’ is the phrase chosen for the wall, capturing the spirit of both the family and the place that has been at the heart of their story.
While O’Dálaigh Jewellers has had their store at the Cliffs of Moher visitor experience since 2008, offering premier gifts for all those looking to remember their trip. O’Dálaigh’s have been settled in Clifden since 1999, moving between different properties before arriving at its current home. Jonathan eventually bought the building, an old structure dating back to the 1820s, and set about transforming it. The renovation was extensive, with the upstairs floor rebuilt to create a dedicated area for consultations and creative work.
above: O'Dálaigh Jewellers' oak ring which takes inspiration from the Sacred Trees of Ireland
“When you come for a consultation,” Jonathan explains, “by the end of the hour you kind of really know what the person wants.” That might mean starting with an image, a childhood memory, a particular landscape or simply an idea that doesn't yet have a shape. From there, Jonathan can use sketches, CAD (computer-aided designs), stones and wax carving to develop the piece. Through the lost-wax process, almost any form can be created before it is cast into metal. The result is jewellery that is genuinely personal and often completely unique.
One couple from Germany, for example, approached Jonathan about wedding rings inspired by the landscape. Their idea incorporated dark rings and a green line, but part of Jonathan's role was considering how the design would stand up to everyday life. That's where the consultation becomes more than simply choosing something beautiful. It's about combining the customer's vision with the jeweller's expertise.
above: O'Dálaigh Jewellers' Cliffs of Moher-insired ring
One striking example is a Cliffs of Moher-inspired ring, incorporating a surface inspired by Liscannor stone and claws resembling puffin feet, with a green emerald representing the surrounding landscape. Another collection taking shape draws inspiration from the Sacred Trees of Ireland. The first design, inspired by the mighty oak, incorporates an acorn detail at the back, with the possibility of adding initials or other personal elements.
The Ogham collection, designed by Jonathan during lockdown, takes the oldest form of Irish writing and brings it into a modern style. Names, surnames and initials can be translated into Ogham and hand-carved onto rings, bracelets and pendants. Each piece is made to order and carved by hand before being specially blackened to make the markings stand out. “I wanted to bring the oldest form of Irish writing into a modern style,” Jonathan explains.
Jonathan is also keen to explore the wider natural world and landscapes surrounding Connemara. The Wild Atlantic Way collection, for example, brings together stones chosen to reflect different elements of the coast: agate for the rugged shoreline, Larimar for the ocean and topaz for the sky. “We're not just Celtic jewellery,” Jonathan says. “Far from it.” Connemara marble also features prominently, with a huge natural slab forming part of the new consultation room.
Jonathan spends considerable time sourcing unusual and high-quality stones, and there is something fascinating about looking closely at the displays and discovering the thinking behind them. Part of the joy of shopping at O’Dálaigh’s is exploring. There are gifts for all sorts of occasions and budgets, from pieces for newborns and godchildren to anniversary gifts and jewellery for men and women.
For custom pieces, customers can choose different metals and stones depending on their preferences and budget. Jonathan's approach is about helping customers create something they genuinely love, whether that means choosing a different carat of gold, a different stone or considering a lab-grown diamond.
In-store, there are also pieces that could really only exist at O’Dálaigh Jewellers. The swords, axes and armour replicas are a nod to Jonathan's childhood memories of attending medieval festivals in Athenry with his father, who even took part in jousting!
There is also another side to Jonathan's work that demonstrates just how personal jewellery can become. Customers have brought ashes, hair and perfume belonging to loved ones to be incorporated into sentimental pieces for themselves and the people close to them. Others have brought photographs of family homes, trees and meaningful places as inspiration.
above: photo by Julia Dunin
For anyone who has struggled to find an engagement ring that feels genuinely different and special, the experience of sitting down with a jeweller, discussing ideas and creating something personal and totally unique to you offers an entirely different way to find the one.
It is their combination of creativity, craftsmanship and storytelling that has allowed O’Dálaigh Jewellers to build a following far beyond Clifden and the Cliffs of Moher. Customers have travelled from France, America, Germany and further afield for special pieces. In visiting their flagship store in the capital of Connemara, Clifden, this is a place to wander, browse independent businesses, stop for coffee, explore the galleries and shops, and take in the landscape that has inspired so much of Jonathan’s work.
So, if you're planning a trip to Connemara, put O’Dálaigh Jewellers on your itinerary. Take your time to wander through the collections, discover the Irish-inspired designs, admire the unusual stones and see the craftsmanship up close. You never know what you'll find.
For more information, visit O’Dálaigh Jewellers on Main Street, Clifden, for their full collection and consultation room or their retail store at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, Unit 5 for smaller gifts, or check them out online at celticimpressions.com.
Main photo by Julia Dunin. All imagery and video courtesy of O'Dálaigh Jewellers.
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