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Makers & Brothers Brings Artisinal Irish Goods to Your Home

By Ann Binlot May 16, 2014 10:20 AM

Brothers Jonathan and Mark Legge grew up with hand crafted products made in Ireland, so when the two decided to launch a business together, they decided to create an e-commerce site that brings together a variety of artisanal products made in the Emerald Isle, aptly calling it Makers & Brothers.

“We’re based out of Dublin and we work with a whole network of about 70 makers around the country, and they’re all handmade goods,” says Jonathan. “So we got glasses that are made in Kilkenny that are hand blown, tweed from Donegal and we have these beautiful hand-made teddy bears, which are made in Cork by a girl named Claire-Anne O’Brien, and little espresso cups.”

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The Legge brothers started Makers & Brothers because they, says Jonathan, “were looking for ways to represent Irish craft and design in a really strong and relevant manner, and we tested it with some pop-up shops about four or five years ago, and we realized that ecommerce is what we want to do.”

The brothers recently embarked on a journey stateside for a weeklong event dedicated to design called NYCXDESIGN, where they will hold a pop-up shop and workshop where a craftsman will make hand-crafted wooden spoons. So those who live in or around New York can visit the Standard East Village through May 20 to check out the unique products Makers & Brothers has to offer. The rest of you, head on over to makersandbrothers.com.

And in case you’re wondering — what’s the ideal Makers & Brothers item for a Manual man? Jonathan tells us it’s their whiskey tumbler (pictured above) made in collaboration with Jerpoint Glass. “It’s all hand-made, hand blown Irish whiskey tumbler,” says Jonathan, so get out a bottle of Jameson Black Barrel and pour yourself a glass in one of these.

For more information, visit makersandbrothers.com.

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle… Read Full Bio

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