STABLE of Ireland

Stable of Ireland

An Post’s Aran Jumper stamps mark a moment Sonia Reynolds has long been working towards - the recognition of Irish craft as something worth preserving.

Ten years after opening their doors - and thirteen since the idea first took shape - Sonia Reynolds and her business partner Francie Duff have built a shop rooted in place and craft traditions. Stable of Ireland at Dublin’s Westbury Mall is full of the warmth of natural fibres, and in Sonia’s description the store is a road trip around Ireland compressed into a single space.

The founders had between them decades of experience in the garments sector when they launched Stable as a pop-up. “What we set out to do was to celebrate Irish textiles,” Sonia recalls. “We wanted to create a welcoming environment centred on homeware, knitwear and lovely Irish linen. To date, we’re delighted with how we’ve evolved.”

A venture that started online has evolved into a permanent physical presence, a team of five full-time staff, and a supplier network that spans the island. Stable works with craftspeople to source fabrics made from linen, wool, merino and silk. “Designing and developing these products has brought great joy, not only to us but to our customers, both here and abroad,” Sonia remarks.

New makers, old craft

Among the most encouraging developments in recent years has been the emergence of younger makers. “What we see in a new generation of craftspeople is a wonderful enthusiasm and energy, and a real hunger to delve into fabric heritage,” she explains. “Many of these skillsets have faded over the years but the new makers are putting their own stamp on them, which is really important.”

Sonia describes the Stable brand statement - wild, beautiful, creative - as an expression of Ireland itself, not merely a marketing line. “When you look around the shop, there’s colour everywhere. Fran and I have great fun in what we do, and we’re very lucky for that.” 

Stable’s commitment to natural materials and Irish provenance means that sustainability is less a policy than a starting point. Everything in the shop is made from natural fibres, and every supplier is based on the island. That position has landed well with the customer base. 

According to Sonia: “Since we started Stable, we have seen a real shift in people becoming much more conscious of what they’re buying. I think Covid had a lot to do with that - people became more invested in what they were surrounding themselves with. The younger generation especially wants to know the story behind what they’re buying, and that matters because that story is part of who we are. Our products have provenance – you know who that knitter is, who that weaver is – and to us that’s really important.”

Knitted into identity

When An Post announced it was launching a series of stamps celebrating the Aran Jumper, Sonia recognised official acknowledgement for a garment that Stable has championed since the beginning. “We thought this was a wonderful moment, a real celebration of something that is truly ours,” she says. Stable works with both hand knitters and machine knitters to produce Aran pieces in the traditional báinín style alongside contemporary variations such as sleeveless vests and cable body bibs.

Sonia notes that what the Aran has always offered is the meaning in its construction. “The fisherman’s knot and the blackberry stitch cannot be replicated by a machine and people want to know that,” she says, adding that the Aran’s continued relevance is unsurprising. “It’s an identity that people associate with Ireland all over the world and the Aran never really goes out of fashion. Each one has a story. The texture may have changed over time but the story hasn’t.”

Delivered with pride

Behind every online order dispatched from Stable’s Dublin base is a logistics chain that depends on An Post. “We’ve been working with An Post for many years and we have the convenience of the Andrew Street post office just a short walk away. We’re very happy with how that relationship has worked. An Post is an Irish brand and there’s a sense that we’re in this together.”

Ten years in, the direction of travel at Stable is well established. The online business will keep growing and the standards that have defined the shop from the outset will not be relaxed. “We will continue to celebrate Irish textiles, to work with craftspeople young and old throughout the country, and continue to grow our online presence, opening up the world stage to what we do here at Stable,” says Sonia. “Everything is made or woven in Ireland and we will not compromise on that quality.”

Stable of Ireland is located at Westbury Mall, Dublin 2. For more information and to shop online, visit www.stableofireland.com