In ‘normal’ times, more than 40,000 people would flock to Dublin’s RDS for Gifted: The Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, but this year is different and the event is online, like so many others.

The craft fair has been running at the Royal Dublin Society for more than 40 years and turns over more than €5m for its exhibitors and brands. Due to the pandemic the organising team have gone virtual with a new e-commerce version, giftedfromIreland.com, for 2020.

The online event runs until Saturday December 5.

The all-Irish marketplace can rival Amazon for choice, according to the organisers, and has more than 200 retailers selling Irish beauty, interiors, fashion, homeware, art, sustainable living and kids’ gifts. 

Brands from the length and breath of the country are already on board, including Kooper Kreation, My Name is Ted, Fab Cow, Millbee Studios, Garrett Mallon, Simple Things, and Orwell & Browne, among many names selling unique Irish design.

In Association with

The site also offers 10% off first orders, with weekly deals and special offers. For example, this week until Thursday 10 December there’s 10% off all jewellery. 

Among the categories of products on offer are Jewellery,  For Him, Skincare, Clothing & Accessories, For Children, Sustainable Living, Art, Prints & Stationery, Ceramics, Homeware, and Artisan Foods, along with a special Christmas department.

Gifted from Ireland says that it checks all sellers one by one and knows its community by name: “Our platform enables small artisan makers from Ireland to reach a global audience.”

Photo: Emmet Bosonnet of Kooper Kreation at his studio in the Chocolate Factory. (Pic: Mark Stedman)