MOODBOARD Summer Mood A Grand Stretch by Susan Zelouf 5 7 6 1. IM LOOKING sharp in a thistle and Nile green silk scarf. www.ciarasilke.com. 4 3 2. IM UNDOING winters spell in a 2 pink Vivienne Irish linen dress by Kindred of Ireland at Brown Thomas. 3. IM OPENING summer wine with a 24ct gold-plated Longhorn bottle opener. www.l-objet.com. 1 8 4. IM POSING in Bottega Venetas BV1357S Ultrathin Squared sunglasses. 10 5. IM BREEZING about in H&Ms light peach pink oversized shirt. 16 6. IM BARBECUING on a Weber Kamado. www.newlands.ie. 9 15 7. IM BOBBING my bonce; if Bobs yer uncle, then Fannys yer aunt. 8. IM MATTIFYING my pout in Prada Beauty Monochrome Soft Matte Liptick in Sedona. At Brown Thomas. 11 14 9. IM CLEANSING with Wild Irish Seaweed and Mint soap. www.faerly.ie. 10. IM BRAVING the Forty Foot with a www.stableofireland.com linen towel. S 11. IM RELIVING 1970s New York IN THE MIDST OF WINTER, I FOUND THERE WAS, WITHIN ME, AN INVINCIBLE SUMMER. ummer, you go to our heads. Sun-soused, lightlangered, flower-fluthered, the grand stretch 13 in the evening intoxicates, leaving us dawn chorus craw-sick with a hedgerow hangover. Blame it on the microbial enzymatic activity in which an energy-rich compound (eg a carbohydrate) is acted upon by busy, naturally occurring microorganisms (say bacteria or better yet, yeast) catalysing an anaerobic breakdown producing carbon dioxide and alcohol, a process known as fermentation. Fold the sweetness of summer into the Northern hemispheres long days journey ALBERT CAMUS into night and bingo, were stocious. Irish summer is an oxymoron. Sidling up to the bigbellied Weber Kamado, as much for warmth as for the sizzle of honey mustard sausages, its still light out when the clock strikes July, soon to be August. We find ourselves wistful for winter, to be huddled by the fire with a cuppa and a bickie and a book as the days draw in; summer, we hardly knew ye! What are we like, we Irish? We cant grill on, we grill on. No, apparently Freud did not say The Irish are impervious to psychoanalysis, a remark attributed to him in Scorseses masterpiece of a film The Departed. Tempting as it is to have a go, we cannot square the circle of Irelands saints and scholars, the Becketts, Joyces, Tóibíns and the unpublished wordsmiths of the Irish diaspora like my dear friend Brigids late mother Kate Baker: the big bouffant Kathleen, a veritable monument who made of me a valiant woman, says her daughter. Never match, always blend. Use a light hand. Figure it out. Read a book. Follow the fabric. Just cut. Stop flitting around the kitchen and flit somewhere else. Shouldnt you be practicing? Take a genteel sufficiency. Put your brother in the wagon and take him with you. That is a very unfortunate dress. Sweet mother of the angels and all the saints in heaven preserve us. Talking to you is like whistling jigs to a milestone. Dip in the dip and leave the herring for your father. The release of Sinéad OConnors Grammy-winning (Grammy-refused) second studio album I Do Not Want What I Havent Got in 1990 aligned with the year this New Yorker left Rome for Belfast to be with the man I would marry. Thirty five years is a grand stretch 12 July/August 2025 THE GLOSS MAGAZINE 12 glitter and doom via Guy Trebays memoir. 12. IM SHOULDERING burdens in a chic Hermès Cabas Corricolo horsehairfringed shoulder bag. 13. IM SUMMERING in the city in Dries Van Noten. www.mytheresa.com. 14. IM SHOWING off little piggies in Dolce & Gabbanas pompom-embellished raffia sandals. www.modesens.com. 15. IM HONOURING the Choctaw Nations famine-era act of kindness. Visit Alex Penteks Kindred Spirits monument in Bailick Park, Midleton, Cork. 16. IM CRYING cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh, in a gold and ceramic www.lussomediterraneo.com mussel pendant. in the country Ive lived in longer than any other, a country of infuriating, thrilling contradictions. Sinéads thrilling voice and infuriating spirit damned the music industry for rewarding commercial success over artistry, damned the church for protection of its abusers, damned her abusive mother for failing her, damned success for making a failure of her home and hell, likely damned Irish summers for not being winters. The subtext of I Do Not Want What I Havent Got (a take on Matthew 7:7) reads like a law of physics: whatever we have, weve asked for, conjured, reeled in like silver salmon the good, the bad and the unspeakable. Like the late Sinéad Marie Bernadette OConnor, I find myself railing against the country of my birth, its skewed politics, injustices, outrages, ignorance and downright stupidity. An Irish citizen since 1995, Ive considered renouncing my American citizenship; forgive me, America, for hating what youve become. Like Chicago-born, Peruvian citizen-by-choice Robert Prevost, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Im more a citizen of the world than an American. Perhaps some Mná na hÉireann are not born, but forged. @susanzelouf SWEET SUNDAE SCENTS / PACKING TIPS FOR IRISH TRIPS / WINE WITH LUNCH / CHECKS AND STRIPES / BEACH READS / THINGS TO DO MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2025 with THE IRISH TIMES ww w.the gloss.ie Great Irish Holidays Relaxed, simple, sophisticated take the scenic route In celebration of 25 years of Raindance A Family Story Since 1798 CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE THE GLOSS MONTHLY REMINDER SIGN UP to receive a monthly reminder by email when THE GLOSS is out so that you never miss an issue. Simply register your details on WWW.THEGLOSS.IE. PU B LI S H E R JANE M C D ONNE LL EDITOR SARAH MC DONNEL L D EP UT Y ED IT OR S Í O MHA CO N ADVERTORIAL Q&A At Close Range Interview with Alan Meredith, Architect and Furniture Designer Y our favourite virtue Authenticity. I have no patience for insincerity or dishonesty, and I think that comes through in my work its a constant search for something real. Your favourite qualities in a ADVERTORIAL AT YOUR SERVICE Weir & Sons of Grafton Street Dublin has a Rolex Authorised Service Centre offering Irish customers assurance that their precious timepieces are being serviced by experts W hen the visionary Bavarian entrepreneur Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex in 1905, his guiding princi ADVERTORIAL Servicing protects the sentimental value of your timepiece, keeping it in pristine condition to be treasured and passed down through generations ... Weir & Sons Rolex Watch Makers and Chris Andrews MD. uncompromising criteria. Rolex conducts regular audits and inspections of our facil GLOSSIP TWO UP Gloss~ip! ETRO Warm and Sunny Slow down and simplify ... JORTS Aka jean shorts. Longer than cutoffs (to just above the knee) these have a loose, borrowedfrom-the-boys vibe. D o you ever consider how, as you get older, you actually like the things about an Irish holiday that u Photo by Flavien Carlod, for advertising purposes only. GENEROUS DISCOUNTS ON ALL CLEARANCE AND EX-DISPLAY ITEMS DUBLIN 18 - Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, D18 XF34 JENNIFER LAWRENCE LA GRANDE CLASSIQUE DE LONGINES WICKLOW ST OPENING SOON FASHION Spot The Trend 2 1 TOMMY HILFIGER Checks and stripes are back on top, says Aislinn Coffey 3 4 5 6 LAUNCHMETRICS/IMAXTREE 7 8 9 VIBE CHECK Checks and stripes, from large-scale checks to washed-out ginghams to old-school deckchair stripes in soft colours, are back on the fashion r Est.1887 ADAMS INVITATION TO CONSIGN An Irish Connection to An International Market FINE JEWELLERY AUCTION For a confidential and complimentary valuation: Contact Director: Claire Mestrallet (Deadline to consign, Friday 8th August) @clm_adams_auctioneers www.adams.ie 26 St. Stephens Green, Dub MOODBOARD Summer Mood A Grand Stretch by Susan Zelouf 5 7 6 1. IM LOOKING sharp in a thistle and Nile green silk scarf. www.ciarasilke.com. 4 3 2. IM UNDOING winters spell in a 2 pink Vivienne Irish linen dress by Kindred of Ireland at Brown Thomas. 3. IM OPENING summer wine with a 24ct g FOR THOSE WHO KNOW Set the stage for the extraordinary. Introducing the new generation of cooling. The difference is Gaggenau www.gaggenau.com/ie FASHION VOLUMINOUS DRESSES Raincoats are on the fashion forecast for summer. Scarlet Lizzy showerproof mac coat, Barbour, 310.80; www.flannels.ie. PALE NAIL POLISH An ice-cool manicure adds a touch of glamour, even on the cloudiest days. Les Mains Hermès Aqua Vert nail polish, €54; www.hermes.co Elevated Show Nights Await with Annual Membership Nestled in the heart of Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Circle Club offers members the finest pre-show dining followed by world-class performances. Email membership@bgetheatre.ie for further information. FASHION FASHION A crisp cotton shirt is an often-overlooked hardworking basic. The styling trick from the Bottega Veneta and Ralph Lauren SS25 shows: wearing shirts as jackets, layered over T-shirts, vests and even fine knits. Top: Ivory Hazel linen blazer, 189, at Sinead Keary The Label, Kildare CO.ANTRIM THE GREAT ESCAPE STAY SPA DINE GOLF galgorm.com FASHION FAB AT 50 @ERINWASSON SPF is your daily essential (even on a cloudy day): this brilliant formula protects your skin and acts as a tinted moisturiser. Emma Lewisham Sunceutical SPF50 Mineral Face Crème (refillable), €55, at Space NK. PICNIC BLANKETS 1 J Crews SS25 lunch in Portugal. BA JEWELS NEW CAPSULE CARD - AVAILABLE NOW A PALETTE OF EIGHT RICH SHADES INSPIRED BY NATURAL MINERALS Free colour cards & wallpaper samples Paint & wallpaper to order Nationwide Stockists +44 (0) 161 230 0882 info@paintandpaperlibrary.com paintandpaperlibrary.com ADVERTORIAL Illustrator Grainne Bath Enright. Jewellery designer Bláithín Enni s. Singer-songwriter Darren Kiely. SÓ IRISH AT KILDARE VILLAGE Theres so much to explore at Kildare Village this summer, with new boutiques, pop-up performances, an open-air sculpture gallery and an exclusive Designer ADVERTORIAL Kildare Village is celebrating Irish culture, fashion and beauty all summer long, as part of its Só Irish campaign. The outdoor sculpture gallery in partnership with The Kildare Gallery. that while prints and patterns might change season to season, silhouettes will remain the same, so BEAUTY Beauty Notes POCO BEAUTY CHANEL News & views, by Sarah Halliwell the French pharmacy favourite, an illuminating dry oil with a soft scent. Self-tan can give you a boost, but its not for every day the DHA in it makes your skin dry out, so do take breaks from it. I tend towards tanning dr Since 1934 THE LEGENDARY BLUE BOX newbridgesilverware.com Love every room Castlebellingham, Co. Louth sales@oconnorsofdrumleck.ie +353 (0) 42 937 2625 oconnorsofdrumleck.ie BEAUTY TREND Benefit Benetint in Black Cherry, 28, at counters nationwide. Chanel le Vernis in Artiste, 33; www.chanel.com. Dior Show Liquid Eyeliner in Shimmer Green, 42. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint, 43, at counters nationwide. ri u m Ph yt o 3 Natu , 55; ww lipe w. Tu he Dior 5 ADVERTORIAL TOUCH & TRUST From day one, Neelu built not just a business, but also a bond with her clients, offering care, connection and community. I have been the luckiest person in business; the people in Dun Laoghaire were wonderful to me all those years. I was young when I arrived, and had neve ADVERTORIAL Cottage cool with Dulux Heritage paints This country cottage in Wicklow looked rather tired until digital creator Jodie Wood gave it a slick, modern, characterful update, both inside and out N ot many people bid on a house without first viewing inside, even fewer when theyre in a mat ADVERTORIAL Jodie Wood and her four-month-old daughter, Sadie. now, but I know its only a matter of time ... The most recent (and last) transformation in the house is Sadies bedroom. It was more of a feeling she says of her approach to decorating this space. I wanted to go into this room and feel SOCIAL LIFE stand unobserved, which we came to affectionally call the changing corner. Did we complain at the time? Well yes, a bit, actually, but we didnt moan. Will I try and use it as leverage to get a better room this year? Absolutely. SAFETY FIRST If, like me, your approach to child safety is Visit our Showroom 4 Knockmitten Lane Dublin 12 D12 DK50 sales@thesofafactory.com thesofafactory.com 01 465 9817 The he Art of Upholstery in Ireland Classic Sofas Made to Order Stockist of Vintage & Antique Chairs Reupholstery Specialists info@newcastledesign.ie 0404 65000 newcastledesign.ie BOOKS Reading Notes Edel Coffey chooses books for the beach T he novel that everyone is getting excited about this summer is NOTES ON INFINITY (Michael Joseph, €16.99), the debut from Austin Taylor. Described as Normal People (Sally Rooney) meets Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Gabrielle BOOKS EXPLORING IRELAND Michael Fewer is an architect and academic who has written 26 books. It was while researching his book Irish Long Distance Walks that he came across many fascinating and quirky objects around the country that told their own local histories. He collected these stories in his BOOKS Life in the Shadows Ecuadorian-American author Karla Cornejo Villavicencios debut novel Catalina is a timely portrait of an undocumented immigrants life at Harvard University. By Caelan McMichael U nder the Trump admisistration, undercover ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers ADVERTORIAL Aisling Cleary and Danielle Andrews, Clinical Directors at Laser + Skin Clinic. A Revolutionary Acne Treatment A breakthrough in acne therapy takes an innovative approach F or many, clear skin is about more than aesthetics, its about confidence, self-esteem and feeling good. Yes, fo DINING Restaurant Notes Ciara McQuillan selects summer holiday stop-offs LANDLINE, PARK HOTEL KENMARE, CO KERRY: THE SCOOP Named after an abstract painting by artist Sean Scully, Landline was designed by Kenmareborn interior designer, Bryan OSullivan (of BOS Studio), whose portfolio includes Clar VALERIE OSULLIVAN INTERVIEW WITH A MAN Theres nothing I love more than standing in front of 1,000 people in a theatre and telling them about birds. SEÁN RONAYNE Birds of a Feather Seán Ronayne is an ornithologist, author and environmental activist, who, since 2021, has been on a mission to record INTERVIEW WITH A MAN INTERVIEW WITH A MAN talk about was birds and Id try to mimic other peoples behaviours, but that didnt work either. I felt like a loser, but when I got the diagnosis, I was able to forgive myself and it gave me a lot more confidence. It allowed me to see the positives, like my WINE La Vie En Rosé Julie Dupouy pairs rosé with summer suppers O ften associated with summer, sunny terraces, and casual apéritifs, rosé wines have for too long carried a reputation for being simple quaffing wines, hardly worthy of a moment of pause for appreciation. Yet behind their many hues FOOD SCENIC ROUTE Ballyshane House and the resident Irish terriers. Kitty Coles. Kitty Coles takes a road trip along Irelands South East coast to East Cork, where she discovers a culinary community thats innovative and inviting I have just returned from one of my favourite trips in the last f FOOD FOOD JR RYALLS ALMOND TART (OR TARTLETS) WITH RASPBERRIES lley, Cork. The dessert trolley at Ballymaloe House. The Long Va Myrtle Allen began making these tarts for the Ballymaloe dessert trolley over half a century ago. The base couldnt be easier to prepare; it literally takes one minute t JASMINE HUGHES TRAVEL GREAT IRISH HOLIDAYS The Irish summer holiday combines simplicity and sophistication we find extraordinary places to stay, eat and explore F Ophelia Keane of Carpa Dining at Inish Beg Estate. or a perfect base from which to explore West Cork, book the recently renovated F TRAVEL The new Nordic-style cabins at Ballygarry Estate. The terrace outside Hannos Workshop at Mossies B&B. latest addition to the accommodation offering is Hannos Workshop, a selfcatering barn with a New York-style loft (two guests; pets allowed). A new sauna has just opened beside a small pond TRAVEL Visit Coan Coffee on the Ards Peninsula for cappucino and carrot cake. Annalong, close to the seaside town of Newcastle, with the Mourne Mountains as a backdrop; www.kribbencottages.com. At Strangford Lough Activity Centre, Rory Martin runs Sunrise and Full Moon kayaking experiences and e-b TRAVEL Fans of the award-winning Misunderstood Heron formerly perched above Killary Fjord and hailed by Lonely Planet as one of the worlds top ten coolest food trucks will be thrilled by its new home at BigStyle Lodge at P Dans, Killadoon, near Louisburgh, which has a terrace with incredible sea TRAVEL Travel Notes Penny McCormick takes a road trip out west Glenlo Abbey Hotel. The sitting room. Deluxe bedroom with view of Lough Corrib. The Pullman Restaurant. CHECKING IN: GLENLO ABBEY HOTEL & ESTATE, GALWAY Take a trip around Inis Mór with Thomas Faherty Tours; www.aranponytrap.com. Kitchen appliances worth talking about Discuss your kitchen needs and learn all about the latest and greatest from Bosch, Siemens and Neff from our experts in the Home of Innovation, Dublin. Or if you prefer to see them in action, join one of our cooking demonstrations. Visit homeofinnovation.ie to