J-eggward!!

LC Confectionery, Irish manfacturers of the famous Iced Caramels and Macaroon bars, has just released a new Easter egg inspired by none other than X-Factor 'stars' Jedward! The Easter egg, a twin pack with two small chocolate eggs, is sure to be on any Easter egg list of children across Ireland but is this a good or very bad move by LC Confectionery, will this J-egg tarnish the LC brand at all?

A little too much chocolate is just about right!

Photo by jytyl


Loving all things Irish and certainly all things chocolate, it is easy to see why the The Chocolate Warehouse, established in 2001, is such a hit amongst children and adults alike! Set up by Natasha Caffrey (granddaughter of Thomas Caffrey - founder of Caffreys Confectionery, 1930) what better place to go for a fun day out for all the family this Easter. Support your chocolatey Irish brands!



Check out their website for further information - www.chocolatewarehouse.ie

BRAND NEW EYES

Photo by Webb Zahn



It's almost 94 years since Ireland fought hard against the British, spent decade after decade dusting off the ashes that it once rose out of since the battle of 1916, 'Brand Ireland' has come a long way and has had a significant influence on culture world-wide with it's music, literature, sport, it's unique Irish brands but most importantly it's identity.
The recession has hit us all hard - from jobs to just paying the bills but is it time to wake up and see this country of ours with brand new eyes? To see it as it was way back then, in the thrusts of 1916 and fighting for our identity and realise if we shun our Irish brands for cheaper alternatives we are taking another step back in time to lost identity! Once again we are faced with turmoil and a threat our uniqueness. Brands matter, our Irish brands matter - time for an Easter rising 2010, maybe?

St Patrick's Day 2010, your view...

Paddy's Day 2010, how was it for you this year?
With shamrocks and tricolours flying high, did you buy Irish and more importantly did you feel proud of your heritage or just a bit queasy at the sight of drunken tourists with leprechaun hats stumbling through temple bar?

In the run up to the big day this year, irelandinc.ie asked Amárach Research to do a wee bit of a study, to compile some information on what you, the public are really thinking and they kindly obliged!

Amárach Research asked 850 adults aged 16 and upwards, both male and female from all over Ireland if being Irish mattered more to them on the lead up to St Patrick's Day 2010. Surprisingly, one third of Irish adults overall agreed that being Irish matters more to them now, with the lead up to St Patrick's Day 2010, amongst the younger age group this increased to almost one in two. It is a shock to see that a whopping 47% of our younger generation (aged 16-24) feel that being Irish is so important nowadays - there is hope for the future yet with such a positive attitude!

Amárach asked the same group of adults if the upcoming generation of celtic cubs will benefit from the past mistakes of the celtic tiger. With 56% of the older generation (aged 45 +) thinking our younger generation of cubs will gain something positive from past mistakes, 48% of adults aged 25-34 agree with this.Let's hear it for our celtic cubs and a new Ireland to come.


Many thanks to Amárach Research for compiling this study.

Leprechaun Land.....

Photo by Irish Philadelphia Photo Essays




New to Dublin and a great visit for all the family Paddy's week and beyond - The Leprechaun Museum, Dublin!


www.leprechaunmuseum.ie

Pringles get in on the act

Photo by Niamhg2009




Pringles is celebrating St Patrick's Day this year with the launch of a limited edition can.
The Pringles St Patrick's Day can will replace the green packaging for best selling flavour Sour Cream & Onion from the 15th February - 31st March! Yum!

Love it or hate it, it's back....

Photo by Richard Cocks




Back for another year, just in time for St Patrick's Day is that Marmite Guinness special - can't decide which side of the fence i'm on though!
Absolutely loving the packaging and great for a gift for anyone. I'd buy it just because it would look oh, so pretty on my kitchen shelf but would i eat it? No. Sadly i'm not a fan but admittedly i'd buy it because of it's Irish theme - would you??

It's that time of year again

With the infamous McDonald's shamrock milkshake still knocking around, it certainly does bring a bit of Irishness around the world. With McDonald's chains all over the globe it's great to see them advertising Ireland when it comes to Paddy's Day.

This old advert came to my attention and i couldn't help but laugh out loud. Made in the early 1980's and very much a schmaltzy, corny production - what do you think??

Guinness celebrates Paddy's Day in style

Photo by Spiros2004



Happy days for all of yee by the name of Patrick!!
For one day on March 17 ( and one day only) Guinness Storehouse will present anybody by the name Patrick or any variant of the name (for all of you Paddy, Pat, Rick or Rickys out there) with a special complimentary pass, otherwise known as the “VIP Pass” into the St. Patrick’s Day Festival at the Storehouse, you will be treated to a day of fun and entertainment to celebrate 10 years since the Storehouse first opened its doors to the public!
For all of us not lucky enough to be named after the great saint himself, we'll have to fork out 15€ to join in on the fun!


A strong Irish brand giving back on a day that marks our nation - hurrah!

OSCAR GLORY

Photo by Dave_B


Richard Baneham, a former student at Ballyfermot College of Further Eucation, has scooped an Oscar for his part in the creation of best visual effects for the movie Avatar.

This win is an incredible achievement for Baneham but more so this has elevated Irish animation, film and brand Ireland to a whole new level. Well done Richard, you've done us proud!

Brand BOD

Photo by Paolo Camera.


Some Irish brands are disappearing but some are seeing their star very much on the rise, propelling the 'brand Ireland' status as they do!

Some of Ireland's top stars are seeing themselves transform into super brands, taking the world by storm. Brian O'Driscoll is one such star, having forged his way from rugby hero to brand A-lister, Brian is well on his way to strengthening his brand with endorsements from an eclectic mix of products, including Gillette razors, Lexus cars, Adidas sports wear and O2 phones. Recently launched, check out Brian's website for more info.


http://www.brianodriscoll.ie/

Give me some sugar....

"Photo by Ayelie on Flickr"




Digging through the ever rising list of Irish brands that seem to be falling by the wayside during this recession, something quite wonderful caught my eye.
Irish food ingredients company Fusion Nutraceuticals is to supply a new sugar substitute product to retailers both home and abroad, bringing in an estimated €50 million over the next 2 years supplying to the likes of Aldi and Asda.
A market which is currently dominated by the Splenda range of products, Fusion say they will have the same quality but at a much cheaper price. Congratulations to Fusion Nutraceuticals!


As the saying goes -

'When a door closes, a window will open somewhere'

Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!

In the blink of an eye, yet another Irish institution has disappeared and a UK 'super store' is ready to pounce. Hughes & Hughes bookstore is shutting it's doors after going into receivership due to high rents and lack of consumer demand, British chain W H Smith are tipped to take over. Has the battle of cheaper prices driven consumers to their laptops and PCs in the bid for more competitive prices online? It seems so, but at what cost? Are people simply blinkered by price tags? Will this be another case of only missing something once it has gone?

When Bewley's closed on Grafton Street, we all felt a similar sense of loss. The people of Dublin put a 'save Bewley's' plan into motion and the beloved cafe reopened its doors shortly after consumers realised it's worth as a brand ambassador for Ireland!

Stumbling across a blog posting on the Glenisk website (one of Ireland's premier leading brands) i couldn't help but think it shared some of my thoughts on supporting all things Irish, whatever type of Irish brand it may be, check out their blog and see for yourself - www.glenisk.com/blog