Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

Master goldsmith and High Jewellery Designer, Nigel O’Reilly 

This is our first on-location recording, visiting Nigel at his beautiful showroom and studio in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. While we missed the pragmatic soundproofed walls of our usual recording studio, we were quite happy to be at the hub of creativity, surrounded by an exquisite jewellery collection.  

The craftsmanship of Nigel’s work is so intricate, and the paucity of materials so evident that there is something very special about witnessing this kind of a maker and product in a small town in the west of Ireland, and yet perhaps that is in ways the mystic, integrity and magic behind the brand. Indeed, even referring to Nigel O'Reilly's makings as products or indeed the namesake as a brand feels futile because the craftmanship and outcomes are much more like beautiful art, unique and timeless.  

And what about the item choices for the Desert Island Dress podcast? were they equally opulent and extravagant? They were wonderfully emotional connections to the key figures of the craftsman Nigel O'Reilly, grounded in the simplicities of everyday family life which lives side by side with the escapism of the creations being dreamt up by the Mayo native.  

We were so grateful for the insight into these two parallel worlds, if you haven't seen Nigel's work, once you do you will never be able to forget it. 

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Nigel O’Reilly, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast.