About Dearbháil Designs
Dearbhail Designs was born out of a simple idea: to make things I would actually wear, use, and hang on my own walls.
Growing up in the North of Ireland as a recovering Catholic with an Irish name, I was nearly taught to be ashamed of who I was. My identity felt like a threat, something to make smaller, something to apologise for. I spent years doing exactly that. I even considered changing my name.
As a teenager I wanted nothing more than to leave. To go somewhere warmer, somewhere I could just exist without explanation.
But something shifted. The decriminalisation of abortion. Marriage equality. I started to see a different future for this place. Slowly, I stopped making myself small and started making things instead.
Dearbhail Designs is what that looks like. Irish identity without apology. The Claddagh on a football jersey, an Irish language tote bag, a coaster that makes you think of your ma's kitchen. It is for everyone who grew up here and was made to feel like they were too much, and for everyone who carries Ireland with them quietly, wherever they ended up.
The North of Ireland is not old politics and war. We are proud of our food, our art, our language, our music, our dancing, and our culture. This place is full of talented, creative people who are bursting with identity and pride in where they come from, and how far we have come as a country.
I now love my name. I am proud of who I am and where I am from, and I want to share that with my community. That is what every piece I make is about.
FOUNDER/OWNER
Dearbháil
I am the face behind Dearbháil Designs
I grew up in the North of Ireland with an Irish name I was nearly ashamed of, in a place that sometimes made me feel like my identity was too much. I spent years making myself small. Now I make things instead, and that feels a lot better.
I launched Dearbhail Designs in 2024 with a simple idea: to create illustrated Irish gifts, prints, and apparel that I would actually wear, use, and hang on my own walls.
Things that make Irish people feel proud without having to shout about it.
When I am not illustrating, you will find me at a local market in Belfast, probably freezing, definitely having the best craic.
This brand is personal. Every piece is made with genuine love for this place and the people in it.
Husband Of Dearbháil
Rueben
Ever seen that meme about "my wife has a small business so now I have an unpaid weekend job"? Yeah, that's basically Rueben's life story.
He absolutely did not sign up for this chaos, yet I would not be where I am without him. You'll usually spot him holding down the fort at market stalls while I disappear for bathroom breaks, snack emergencies, or to have a proper nosey around the other traders.
Fair warning: he's also a certified expert at box carrying and car packing. Honestly, it would be a shit show without him.
Values
-
Pride Without Apology
Irish identity is something to celebrate, not shrink from.
-
Rooted In Real Culture
No generic shamrocks or tourist clichés. Every design comes from a real place, a real feeling, a real memory.
-
Community First
Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review.
Mission
To create illustrated Irish gifts, prints, and apparel rooted in the real culture, humour, and identity of Ireland and the North. Every piece is designed to make Irish people feel proud, seen, and at home, whether they are still here or carrying Ireland with them somewhere else in the world.
Dearbhail Designs champions the Irish language, Celtic tradition, local food culture, and Northern Irish identity through art that is accessible, giftable, and made with genuine love for this place and its people.