‘Visions of the Past Shop’ now open!!! Since 2012 ‘Visions of the Past’ has been dedicated to the promotion and coverage of Irish history, heritage, folklore and the built environment. To date the website has had over 800k visits and has documented 350 historic sites. We are passionate about Irish heritage and with this in mind we have decided to commission three talented Irish designers to create some fantastic hard enamel pins and a tote with an Irish folklore focus. Today we have launched our etsy shop and our first two enamel pins alongside our tote bag. The first pin is the ‘Hawthorn Tree’ pin designed by TwoheadedDog Art, a tree closely linked to Irish folklore and fairy lore. The second is the enigmatic and powerful ‘Sheela Na Gig’ pin designed by Votive Illustration. The tote is the logo for VOTP and features the bell tower of my favourite Dublin church St Audoens. We are already working on further designs and hope to expand the range over the coming months.

Visions of the Past Etsy Shop

‘Hawthorn Tree’ pin

In Irish the hawthorn is known as ‘Sceach Gheal’, meaning ‘bright thorn‘, and has always been heavily associated with fairies and as a portal to the Irish otherworld. In Irish the hawthorn is known as ‘Sceach Gheal’, meaning ‘bright thorn‘, and has always been heavily associated with fairies and as a portal to the Irish otherworld. In the Ogham alphabet the hawthorn is represented by the sixth symbol ‘Huath‘, this is the symbol on the bottom right hand corner of the pin. A single hawthorn in a field, or one growing out of the side of a mound or rock outcrops were thought to have particular power. It is heavily associated with May, fertility and can bring a lot of good luck. However the tree must be respected, its branches should only be trimmed when in bloom, Irish folklore is full of tales of the unfortunate outcomes for people who tried to remove hawthorns from their land.

This pin was designed by Irish designer TwoHeadedDog Art        ……facebook.com/twoheadeddog.art

‘Sheela na Gig’ pin

The history of Ireland’s Sheela Na Gigs is shrouded in mystery. To some they are the pre-Christian symbols of fertility or a female deity, to others they are more similar to the medieval grotesques of churches throughout Europe, as a warning against lust. Whatever their origin they are tightly tied to the history and folklore of Ireland, with over one hundred dotted around the country they are more prevalent in Ireland than anywhere else in Europe.

This pin was designed by Irish designer Votive Illustration                  ……. http://www.votiveillustration.com

‘St Audoen’s Tower’ tote bag

St Audoen’s Tower is one of Dublin’s most recognisable towers dating from the 12th century. Its three bells date from 1423. St Audoen’s history and folklore is dramatic and vast, witnessing over 800 years of Dublin Life. This is a long armed tote bag with white print on black, perfect size for 12″ vinyl or historical documents!

The logo was designed by Irish designer Ruairí Conaty