Our Location
Bonner of Ireland is nestled in the low hills of County Donegal in Ireland a few close miles to the village of Ardara. In a corner of Ireland, where low hills embrace the land, there lies a place, a haven of craft and tradition.
Ardara, a key commercial and market town on the N65, connects southwest and west Donegal. Its name, ‘Ard a’ Ratha’ (high hill of the fort), is derived from a nearby ancient ring-fort.
WHERE WE CAME FROM
Ardara’s heritage dates back to the 6th century, linked to St Conall Caol, a descendant of St Colmcille and abbot of Inniskeel monastery.
During the Plantation era, the confiscated lands around Ardara were divided into proportions by the Plantation Commissioners. The current parish includes the proportions of Monargan, Mullevea, and part of Boylagh Iochtarach. The entire area was eventually granted to John Murray, Earl of Annadale.
Tragic tales from “Cromwell’s War” permeate the townlands, including mass atrocities at Poll a’ Tarribh and the Caves of Maghera. From the mid-17th to late 19th century, the Nesbitt family of Woodhill played a significant role in Ardara’s development. Alexander Nesbitt, the first of his line in Ardara, established his residence at Woodhill in 1669.
WHERE WE WERE RAISED
Ardara is renowned for its tweed and knitwear industries, earning the title of “Heritage Town.” The industry’s resurgence in the 1870s was aided by figures like Neil McNelis, Mrs. Ernest Hart, and the Gillespie brothers. The Congested Districts Board’s establishment in 1891 further boosted this revival.
Efforts to improve tweed quality and lace schools in Donegal, including a crochet class in Ardara, significantly enhanced the town’s economic and reputational standing, with substantial sales by the late 1890s.
WHERE WE NOW CREATE
Bonner of Ireland is nestled in the low hills of County Donegal in Ireland a few close miles to the village of Ardara. In a corner of Ireland, where low hills embrace the land, there lies a place, a haven of craft and tradition.
Ardara, a key commercial and market town on the N65, connects southwest and west Donegal. Its name, ‘Ard a’ Ratha’ (high hill of the fort), is derived from a nearby ancient ring-fort.