Food and booze
For the person who has a lot of “stuff”, giving the gift of food, wine or their favourite tipple will always be greatly appreciated.
You will never go very far wrong if you give someone a delicious cheese hamper, their favourite rare malt whiskey, or a bottle of vintage wine to excite the palette.
The Celtic Whiskey Shop has wide range to choose from, catering for all budgets from a modest €30 to a jaw-dropping €11,000 for the pleasure of sipping the delights of a Midleton Pearl Very Rare 30th anniversary. All the mainstream favourites are here, including various selections of Midleton, Redbreast, The Spots, Method and Madness, Powers and Jameson as well as plenty of offerings from the new kids on the block – independent craft distilleries including Dublin 8’s finest Teelings and Pearse Lyons as well as Glendalough, Burkes and Dingle. For that extra special touch, you can have the bottle engraved at a cost of €15 plus the bottle price. Available at Celtic Whiskey Shop and Wines on the Green, 27-28 Dawson Street, Dublin
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From humble beginnings selling cheeses at a Galway market, Sheridans has become one of Ireland’s leading producers and distributors of homegrown artisan cheeses as well as importing some of the finest European cheeses available. Sheridans’ renowned selection includes Durrus, Coolea and Cooleeney Raw Milk Cheese from our own green pastures as well as Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano, Dongé Brie de Meaux, Marcel Petit Comté from our continental cousins. Sheridans now has several corporate Christmas hampers available including the Cheese and Cracker Selection, with slabs of Stilton, Comté, Camembert, Gubbeen as well as Sheridans Chutney for Cheese, Sheridans Mixed Seed Cracker, Sheridans Rye and Linseed Cracker, €38.
Its wine and cheese selection includes a bottle of Montepulciano Le Salare Barba, Comté, Durrus Óg, Cashel Blue, Petit Camembert, Sheridans Rye and Linseed Cracker €49.
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L Mulligan Whiskey Shop is an award-winning spirits specialist in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. It has created a range of bespoke gift hampers for corporate and personal gifting this festive season. Packed with gin, whiskey, chocolate and other victuals, each hamper comes with its own glassware. They will also work with you to create a bespoke hamper. From paired garnishes for gin to hand-crafted chocolate bars made exclusively for L Mulligan to pair with their favourite whiskeys, as well as Irish coffee hampers with locally roasted beans and cocktail hampers, there is plenty to choose from. There is also no minimum pricing.
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James Fox has teamed up with Teeling Whiskey Company to create an exclusive release of Teeling Small Batch.
This limited bottling can be personalised as an individual or corporate gift and with your message, this bottle of Teeling becomes "your batch" and is available exclusively at James Fox on Grafton Street and on jamesfox.ie.
Available from early November for €49.95, to pre-order contact James Fox on 01-677 0533 or info@jamesfox.ie.
Vouchers
A Dine in Dublin voucher makes a great gift for the food lover – operated by DublinTown, there is a broad selection of restaurants with some of the best chefs located within Dublin city centre, catering for all palettes from the most adventurous who like a good ethnic twist to those for whom a steak and chips is worthy of their last request.
Dine in Dublin vouchers are available to buy in denominations of €10, €20 and €50 and can be used in more than 40 participating restaurants in Dublin city centre.
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For those who like some five-star luxury, the gift of an overnight stay in a luxury hotel is always going to impress both clients or colleagues alike.
Ireland's Blue Book is a collection of charming Irish country house hotels, manor houses, castles and restaurants, located throughout the island of Ireland. Vouchers for the Blue Book are perfect for rewarding staff or client recognition and gifting a flavour of a Downton Abbey experience.
The gift vouchers can be used in more than 50 romantic country houses, historic hotels and castles with a choice of Georgian manors, stately castles, historic hotels, luxury boutique hotels, designer lodges and gourmet restaurants.
The collection includes the five-star Merrion Hotel, Dublin; Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co Kerry; Glenlo Abbey, Galway; and Hayfield Manor, Cork. Also included are Gregans Castle, Co Clare; Dunbrody House, Co Wexford; Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny; Ballymaloe House in Cork; and Dublin restaurants L’Ecrivain, Chapter One, and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.
Vouchers can be purchased for any amount over €100.
For more, visit irelandsbluebook.com; or call 01-676 9914
Relaxation
The gift of relaxation and retail therapy will always be a welcomed and Brown Thomas can tailor packages for customers, using their gift cards.
Two examples are the Ladies who Lounge, which includes a makeover and manicure in the Beauty Lounge and afternoon tea in The Restaurant by Johnnie Cooke, costing €300 for two.
Girls Day Out includes browsing, beauty and a leisurely lunch. This includes a private personal shopping appointment, Beauty Lounge blow dry, Nails Inc manicure and lunch at Green & Bean Cafe, costing €215 for two.
Sport
Upcoming sporting events in 2019 are already causing a stir and as Brian O’Driscoll once said, “You’ve got to celebrate the good days because there are brutal days that make the good ones sweet”.
The 20th Six Nations championship kicks off next year and your colleagues and clients will be just as excited as everyone else to see if Ireland can replicate last year’s grand-slam triumph.
With impressive victories over France and England last year, Ireland will face tricky away opponents in Scotland and Italy, not to mention a St Patrick’s weekend trip to Cardiff to face Wales.
Marathon Sports Travel has packages that will cater to your group’s needs and Scotland vs Ireland on February 9th, including match ticket and two nights’ hotel stay, costs from €449.
If rugby isn’t your thing but the smell of burning rubber is, then the Formula One & MotoGP Packages from Marathon Sports Travel could be just the ticket. These packages provide accommodation and tickets. Three nights’ stay at the Monaco grand prix, including ticket and travel starts at €1,229.
For football fans, Marathon Sports offers corporate hospitality packages for all leading English Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United as well tickets for most other Premier League clubs and Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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For something different and the opportunity to meet one of Ireland’s greatest sportsmen, The Hospitality Partnership has produced a unique five-star experience consisting of golf, Irish whiskey tasting and the little matter of a rugby grudge match, all in the company of host Brian O’Driscoll.
The Brian O’Driscoll weekend package, Ireland vs England, takes place February 1st to 3rd, 2019.
Enjoy the entire weekend with a two-night stay at the Shelbourne Hotel, play the iconic Portmarnock links golf course, taste some of the finest whiskey on the island of Ireland during a private tour and function at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery on the eve on the game. Finally, experience official IRFU corporate box hospitality on the half-way line at the Aviva Stadium for what promises to be the game of the tournament.
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You don’t have to be a suite holder or even commit to premium membership to have an exclusive Croke Park experience. With its hospitality offering, you can go premium for one day hand-picking your event from football and hurling finals to experiencing sell-out music shows. Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Coldplay and Taylor Swift are just some of the recent acts to have played. Croke Park Hospitality packages can take your business relationships to another level.
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Old favourites
Pens
The striking two-tone metal combination of polished chrome and 23-carat gold plate make the Century II Medalist Rollerball a gift with a touch of class. Its signature Cross design and weighted feel make this a true luxury gift. The Cross Century II Medalist can also be engraved, making for a stylish corporate gift with a personal touch.
Century II Medalist Rollerball, €105.
Montblanc offers the ultimate in subtle sophistication with a wide range of ultra-chic corporate gifts. The Montblanc Meisterstück business-card holder is made from black European full-grain cowhide with a unique Montblanc deep shine; it features jacquard lining with Montblanc brand name and a Montblanc emblem with a palladium-coated ring. It includes a compartment for business cards, two pockets for credit cards and an additional pocket.
Montblanc business-card holder, €160.
Montblanc Unicef stainless-steel cufflinks are reversible rectangular-shaped cufflinks and are a tribute to Montblanc’s initiative with Unicef. The classic onyx on one side and a brushed-steel plate engraved with the first letters of different alphabets on the other side can be reversed, while the adorned blue sapphire adds an elegant touch while remaining classic.
A mid-brown leather computer bag from sustainable Scandinavian brand Saddler will accommodate a 15in laptop and it also features a large zip pocket at the front with a padded slip-in pocket and two slip-in pockets inside. It also comes with an adjustable and removable shoulder strap.
Saddler laptop bag, €210. All items available from Weir & Sons.
Gadgets
The Field activity tracker watch is an activity tracker which allows you to monitor your activities during the day. It measures the distance, number of steps taken, calories burned and sleep pattern. There is a free app available for both iOS and Android and it’s available in white or black.
€39.95
5W Bluetooth Speaker: 100 LEDs light up this speaker in time with the music, there is a built-in microphone to accept calls, four LED modes and a battery life of up to three hours with four hours’ charging time. It comes with a USB charging cable and aux cable. It’s available in blue and white.
€38.95
Both are available from Lonergan Corporate Gifts: www.lcgifts.ie
The De Longhi pump-driven espresso maker has a thermo-block heating system which ensures your coffee is always the perfect temperature. It has a fast heating time of 40 seconds and a self-priming system, which means the machine is always ready for use. There is a professional filter holder for ground coffee (one or two cups) and an adjustable cappuccino system: perfect to prepare hot milk, milk froth for cappuccinos and hot water for teas and infusions.
€249 at Harvey Norman/Arnotts