Located on the western side of Ireland in the matchmaking town of Lisdoonvarna and nestled in between the epic landscapes of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, you won’t find a more beautifully scented workshop than that of the The Irish Chandler.
After searching for a cleaner way to fragrance her new home in Ireland, Lisa Barnett, The Irish Chandler founder, decided to create her own scented candles. She spent a long time researching and looking for the best quality waxes and fragrances, then after months of testing and experimentation Lisa found the perfect combination of cotton core wicks and soy wax (unfortunately there isn’t a good climate in Ireland to grow soybeans but the wax is supplied by an Irish based distributor). These two simple components combined with the finest quality fragrance oils produces longer burning, non-toxic scented candles that are safe to use around children and pets in any home or workplace.
At first Lisa not only made the candles to personally use in her own home but it was a way to escape the computer screen where she was spending long hours each day working on graphics for wedding designs and signage. When Lisa began to gift her creations to friends and family, it became apparent that the quality candles she was producing were equally if not better than those available in local gift and craft shops. So, in 2017 Lisa took a stall at the renowned Milk Market located in Limerick City. She had seen an advertisement for the annual Christmas craft market and thought she would see how the general public would respond to her uniquely fragranced candles. To her surprise and delight it was a total success. Lisa went home with only two out of the fifty jars she had filled with her waxy concoctions. A cold January then followed and after serious consideration and the support of her family, Lisa took up a regular spot at the Milk Market and today you will find The Irish Chandler market stall full of candles for sale each Saturday. The market has been The Irish Chandler’s shopfront and a place where the offer of ‘free smells’ has attracted many new customers and friendships. Customers are conscious of where the jars will end up once the candles are finished so they are encouraged to return the glass jars for either a refill or to be reused. Many customers visit the stall time and again checking out the latest fragrances on offer and to return jars. One lady on her travels through Ireland even brought her jar all the way back from Singapore!
It is the outstanding backdrop of the Wild Atlantic Way and the local surroundings that provide the inspiration for a unique range of fragrances that can literally transform any room into a sanctuary or take you to a place where memories and meaningful moments are evoked. To date the best seller is the ‘Atlantic’ candle, a fresh fragrance of sea salt and driftwood with pops of citrus and wood sage. A seasonal range has also being added and the latest autumnal fall collection is the perfect mix of warm and spicy aromas that perfectly lead you into ‘candle season’ and to the Irish Christmas collection which sold out in record time last year, so you need to be quick when placing an order online.
The Irish Chandler has steadily grown into a recognizable brand that now produces hundreds of candles each week. Although new equipment has been introduced to cope with demand, everything is still handmade in Lisdoonvarna with each candle being lovingly hand poured and labels designed in-house are printed and carefully attached to the jars by hand.
