Tick! Tock! Which clock?

Clock faces in their simplest form are recognised the world over. The numbers 1-12 run the periphery of the dial and the hour hand makes two rotations to countdown the hours of the day before it starts all over again. Do you prefer to see time passing in this way - knowing you can still see the hours past and the ones coming? Or are you a child of the digital era – a quick glance at your watch/mobile phone tells you what time it is in a single moment? Whatever your preference there is no doubt that this humble timepiece has gone through many changes. Here are 12 things you never thought you wanted to know about clocks:

1. The word clock comes from the Celtic words Clocca or Clogan meaning bell. The first mechanical clocks appeared in the 1300’s and used only bells to signify the hours passing.
2. Clock faces started to appear in the 1400’s when the spring mechanism made it possible for clocks to become smaller.
3. Although Galileo originally conceived the Pendulum clock in the late 1500’s, it is Christiaan Huygens who is attributed with its design and creation in 1656. At the time, the bigger the pendulum meant the more accurate the clock.
   
4. In the 1760’s the first navigational clock was developed in the UK following the sinking of 15 ships and the death of over 2,000 sailors.
5. During the French Revolution in 1793, it was decreed that France would now run on decimal time - This had 10 decimal hours in the day, 100 decimal minutes per hour, and 100 decimal seconds per minute. Therefore the decimal hour was more than twice as long (144 min) as the present hour, the decimal minute was slightly longer than the present minute (86 seconds) and the decimal second was slightly shorter (0.86 sec) than the present second. Clocks were manufactured with this alternate face, usually combined with traditional hour markings. However, it didn't catch on, and France discontinued the mandatory use of decimal time on 7 April 1795, although some French cities used decimal time until 1801.
6. Horology is the study of time and the art of measuring time. Who remembers when John Joe Brennan stole the hearts of the nation on the Late Late Show in 2009 by declaring he would become a horologist when he grew up?
7. Giving a clock gift is considered bad luck in China, but luckily not-so-much in Western civilisation where giving a clock is considered a modern tradition for the first wedding anniversary.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Point 7 segues nicely into point 8 by bringing to your attention the many types of Clocks and clock faces we have available here at Irish Gift Solutions.
9. The traditional and globally recognised 1-12 dial with intertwining rings, map or image at the centrepiece. This can be personalised with family crests, a special wedding blessing and details of the occasion being celebrated.
   
10. The long-established Roman numeral clock face where you can have either IV or IIII at the 4 depending on your preference. This looks particularly impressive on our Pendulum clock.
11. Our newly designed Hurley clock – featuring Hurleys at 12,3,6 and 9 with sliotars symbolising the remaining numbers. Ideal gift for the “Hurler on the ditch” in the family/workplace.
    
12. All of our slate clocks are custom made and come framed and ready for wall hanging. They can be ordered through sales@irishgiftsolutions.com and shipped worldwide!

Irish Wedding Gift

Irish Wedding Gift

When you receive a wedding invitation do you instantly wonder about the gift? Traditionally, you would have given a household item that would help set the couple up as they embark on their new life together. An iron? Toaster? Gravy boat? However, these days most couples have already set up the home and are looking to off load their accumulated possessions rather than collect more. There are also some vastly different opinions on giving cash – Is it appropriate? How much? Is it personal enough? And then you hit the nail on the head…Personal! A personalised gift that will mean something to both the Bride and the Groom!

Personalised gifts will capture the imagination of the both giver and the receiver. Exclusive, handmade and individual gifts are created to be used and adored.  Luckily, here at Irish Gift Solutions this is what we do best – creating bespoke gifts using natural Irish materials such as Slate, Bog Wood, Ash and Marble.

Irish people and people with Irish heritage are passionately proud of their culture and traditions and what better way to celebrate their special day than with a thoughtful Irish wedding gift.

Engraved Slate:

Our unsurpassed range of Slate gifts can be engraved with any

©     image,

©     text, (unique wedding vows, perhaps?)

©     poem,

©     saying,

©     symbol,

©     song lyric,

©     Ogham blessing,

©     wedding blessing or

©     Family Crest (Coat of Arms)

A gift that brings together both a new beginning and our strong ties to our heritage, for example “Grá, Dilseacht, Cairdeas” means “Love, Loyalty, Friendship” – a simple wish expressed to last the test of time.

You can choose from a large range of fonts or even better, send us a copy of the invitation and we can incorporate elements from it into your design. The slate we use is sourced and cut in Ireland and of course we will design and create your gift at our design studio in Ennis, Co. Clare making your gift truly Irish and personally crafted.

Engraved Slate Clock:

“An rud is annamh is íontach – what is rare is wonderful!” At Irish Gift Solutions we specialise in creating rare and one-off clock gifts that can be tailored to celebrate any couple, young or old. As with the slate gifts they can be engraved to convey a special message in English or As Gaeilge (In Irish). We have a helpful selection of quotes on our website or you can tell us yours!

Bog Wood:

Another highly admired and appreciated gift is Irish Bog Wood. As with the clocks these pieces can be engraved with any text, Irish blessing or Family Crest. A piece of Bog Wood, designed for wall hanging will certainly create a wow-worthy impression and will become a gift to grow old with.

Satisfaction Guaranteed!

As with all our gifts you don’t have to be in Ireland to order them. Irish Gift Solutions is delighted to offer international shipping to most countries on all orders.

We will always email you a layout of your gift for approval before we create it to ensure you are 100% satisfied. The time it takes to create your special gift is 3-5 days and don’t forget to add shipping times.

So ditch the traditional, be bold, be clever, be unexpected and let us create a gift for you that will be loved, treasured and cherished.

Personalised Gift Buying guide

Christmas comes but once a year and as my dear old Dad used to say “Thank God he was an only child.” We all know that December is a month when we must consider our family, friends, co-workers, dog groomer etc and set about searching for the perfect gift to express all they mean to us throughout the year. But….

Are you already experiencing “gift buying fatigue”? Feeling bamboozled by the vast array of socks, jumpers, handbags, toys and soaps? Here at Irish Gift Solutions we have just what you are looking for! The perfect personalised gift for Mum, Dad, the grandparents and even the young All star. And you can shop from the comfort of your couch at www. irishgiftsolutions.com.

For Mum - a lady who can take the place of all others but whom no one can replace – we can create an exquisite range of personalised gifts. Does she have a favourite poem, saying, expression? Present it to her in a different way by having it engraved on Irish slate or indeed a beautiful piece of Irish Bog Wood.

  

A gift that truly shows you care is an “Acrostic name plaque” – a-what-now I hear you ask? Well, this is where we use the letters of the name and create a gift describing what the person means to us. At Irish Gift Solutions, we can also of course do this for Dad or indeed for a place if you have someone missing home.

Speaking of missing home, if you are overseas for Christmas you know the first question your Irish Mammy will ask you every time she calls is “What time is it there now?” Just so the folks know and so they are not ringing you as you are about to leap into a bungee jump, head off for a surf or are rolling home from the pub, why not invest in the “Irish Mammy Clock”, pictured below. The clock can feature up to 5 time zones, with iconic or personal images for each.

For Dad – perhaps the hardest person in the world to buy for – we can create a “HobbyHurley” that will combine his love for his hobby and his passion for Hurling. Is he a fantatic “Hurler on the Ditch”? We can engrave one of his favourite hurling quotes onto an ash hurley that will be mounted on a marble base. These hurley are also available for your future All Stars and feature your club name..

To combine a gift for both parents from all the family we can engrave your family tree or have your family crest (Cost of Arms) and special message engraved on a beautiful piece of Bog Wood.

At IrishGift Solutions there is no limit to the imagination and myriad of gifts we can create. Taking our inspiration from native Irish raw materials such as slate, Irish Bog wood, Ash and Marble we create bespoke gifts for any special occasion that are steeped in our culture and tradition.

So don’t stress, but don’t leave it until the last minute – unless you enjoy that dash around the shops at 4pm on Christmas Eve, fighting for the last pair of socks as your friends are relaxing and enjoying a Christmas Bailey’s (you know you have to!). Contact us now to create your personalised and unique gift!

Dead Man's Penny

Irish Gift Solutions recently received an unusual request to make a special housing for a commemorative penny from the First World War. The penny was received by the family in honour of service by the young Irishman. The customer was particularly interested in using Bog Wood for this piece as she felt the quality and texture of the wood would serve to enhance the importance of the penny.

Together with the customer we carefully chose the right piece of BogWood to hold such a precious memento of our history. Each person will see a different shape when they look at a piece of wood, but we all saw Co. Mayo when we looked at this particular piece. The rugged edges of the wood reflect the coastline and a carefully measured circular area was cleared to house the coin.

Mayo holds a special place in our customer’s heart, as that is where Private Michael Fallon hails from. He fought and tragically died in World War 1 and his family have treasured his “Dead Man’s Penny” down through the generations.

 “Dead Man’s Pennies” were issued after World War 1 to the families of British and Empire servicemen and women who had perished as a result of battle. The “pennies” were cast from bronze and are approximately 5 inches in diameter. The design was chosen from a public competition that received over 800 submissions. Edward Carter Preston’s design features Britannia, with her head bowed, holding a trident in her right hand with her left hand outstretched and bearing a wreath. A rectangle bears the name, but not the rank, of the deceased in raised letters. The soldier’s rank was not included as there is no distinction in death between the sacrifices made. A lion stands at Britannia’s feet with a second lion at the base of the penny seen devouring a Prussian Eagle. Two dolphins also feature on the penny symbolising the sea power of the Empire. Around the coin are the words “He died for freedom and honour”. The reverse of the “penny” was left blank as they were designed for display.

Thousands of young Irishmen were involved in the Great War. They went off seeking adventure expecting the fight to be over by Christmas. They received little training before they were despatched to the trenches and their fate was a story told many times over.

Bog Wood gifts

All you want to know about Bog Wood but were afraid to ask…

Approximately 6000 thousand years ago Ireland had many great forests of oak, yew and pine. Where are they today? Well, the ruthless farming techniques of many Stone Age farmers and some fairly dramatic climate changes destroyed much of the tree cover and when that was gone marshy bog lands developed which covered much of what remained and buried it for years and years.

The trees and stumps left behind became waterlogged and eventually buried as the bogs expanded. They were preserved in anaerobic (no oxygen) bog waters. This slowed and eventually stopped the decaying process and the tannins in the water worked to change the colour of the wood. The remains of these forests are found 4.5m – 6m deep in the bogs.

The trees while being preserved have undergone great chemical changes over time. The wood changes colour determined by the type of bog and area. Bog Wood is sourced from bog lands in Longford, Westmeath, Roscommon and Offaly. Modern life practices such as development, road building and demands for fuels have all been cutting away at the bog lands for many years which has exposed this rich artist’s treasure. Bog Wood is a rare resource which is unique both in colour and feel.

Once the wood is out of the bog you can imagine there is a long drying period and this can take from 1-4 years to complete. Some wood is kiln dried to speed up the process but artists need to be very careful here as this can make the wood brittle. At Irish Gift Solutions though we only choose the best air dried Bog Wood pieces. No two are the same and we have great fun guessing the shapes when we receive a new batch. Bog Wood is a timeless link to our heritage and provides an elegant yet sturdy gift for all special occasion.

Bog Wood can be engraved to create very individual gifts for weddings, anniversaries, christening gifts from Godparents. Bog wood is also an impressive addition to the opening of a new building or premises.

Who would have though that the depths of these bogs would provide artists with their raw material and inspiration?