Island Diary

As the season of appreciation for our loved ones commences, we are delighted to share a recent cause for family celebration - a recognition of Lifetime Achievement for Tarlach and Áine de Blacam at the Made in Ireland Awards recently. Tarlach and Áine founded Inis Meáin Knitting Company in 1976 to provide employment in Áine's homeplace, the Aran Island of Inis Meáin. Creating a company on a small off-shore island with no running water or electricity and minimal transport at the time was extremely challenging, however they persevered and in 2023 handed over management to their son and daughter-in-law, Ruairí and Marie-Thérèse de Blacam. We are very grateful to them for their hard work and tenacity and are proud to share their life-journey so far with Inis Meáin Knitting Company as featured in this month's issue of The Irish Country Magazine by Megan Fox. read more

EXTENDED TO MIDNIGHT 22/11/24! We're delighted to offer two unique Complimentary Gifts to be included in all purchases over €240/$300 while stocks last for a limited period. The complimentary gifts are an Inis Meáin Bow Tie and an Inis Meáin Beanie - beautiful knitwear pieces to gift yourself or others for the festive season ahead. read more

Would you like to win a once-off Inis Meáin Masterwork to adorn your home? If so we’d really appreciate less than 5 minutes of your time to answer 10 quick questions. Sharing with us your thoughts on Inis Meáin Knitwear gains entry to our draw to win a priceless once-off Inis Meáin Masterwork, the Cashmere Fíodóir Blanket, and your feedback will help us to improve what we offer to you, our valued clients and followers. read more

We are proud to share that Inis Meáin is the subject of the Genius at Work segment in this month's prestigious Robb Report Magazine - a leading voice of global luxury, synonymous since 1976 with the best of the best. The Genius at Work series selects a company that is an expert in its field and ventures behind the scenes to capture the entire design and manufacturing process. Commissioned by Paul Croughton, written by Naomi Rougeau and photographed by Jamie Ferguson for Robb Report.  read more

Although officially Autumn, from a vacation point of view, August is definitely summer in Inis Meáin and the month kicks off with the island's annual sports festival. Also a homecoming weekend for islanders settled elsewhere, flying home for summer vacation to Inis Meáin has quite a literal meaning as every house on the island can be seen on the landing approach, as well as our Workshop and Island Store to the right of the aerial view above. read more

Oíche Fhéil Sain Seáin, St. John's Eve, is a special summer's night on Inis Meáin. Falling on June 23rd, bonfires are widely lit in the west of Ireland, however on Inis Meáin it is also a celebration of the patron saint of the island. The Knitwear Workshop is closed for an Island Holiday on June 24th for St. John's Day - conveniently as all the revelry happens the night before. read more

Inis Meáin Knitting Company has been lovingly designing and knitting special pieces on the Aran Islands for almost 50 years. While designing for both Men and Women, Menswear has been our main focus for the last number of years. We have many fantastically loyal customers who have a real affinity with our products knitted to the highest quality from the finest yarns, often reconnecting the senses to their mother's or grandmother's knitted pieces in touch, smell and comfort. read more

The Cuckoo bird is fondly welcomed in Inis Meáin as a harbinger of early summer. Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa, and the young Cuckoos born in Inis Meáin manage to migrate successfully to Africa in late summer, a few weeks ahead of their parents. In a community so close to nature, this wondrous phenomenon and the distinctive Cuckoo call has long captured the imagination and the Cuckoo or An Chuach in Irish, is often included in local names and sayings associated with the island's nature, even traditionally helping in long-range weather forecasting and farm planning... read more

At Inis Meáin we are proud to continue to design and make all of our exceptional knitwear in our own Aran Islands workshop in Ireland for almost 50 years now — read about it and about some of the exciting Irish creatives following in our footsteps in the Financial Times' How to Spend It Magazine. read more

March signifies the deepening of spring on the island, with more fresh growth, longer evenings and our unique and highly anticipated St. Patrick’s Day Cead Tournament. This ancient game is played only on Inis Meáin and only on St. Patrick’s Day, no matter what the weather. read more