Perfumery always used to be thought of as a French industry but, whilst it is still the dominant player, there are other countries now vying for a piece of the pie. You often hear the United Kingdom mentioned for its plethora of independent companies and creators but, back in 1972, a poet by the name of Brian Mooney introduced fragrance to Western Ireland’s County Clare in the guise of The Burren Perfumery. Still the oldest fragrance company in the Republic, and now owned by Sadie Chowen, it boasts an impressive collection of seven scents and is definitely the jewel in the perfumery crown of the Emerald Isle.
"An Irish perfumery which manufactures in the UK", it's not the usual start to a description about a fragrance brand, but keep reading and I guarantee you will be very surprised. Roads Fragrance, part of the Roads Luxury Group, is based in Dublin and run by its founder Danielle Ryan. Her concept is simple, "to create an artistic brand that would not be limited by its own definition and grow according to its customers' interests." So, will the company's output really be influenced by the sales results of its current ten perfumes? Very probably, but please don't ask me to number crunch this extraordinary collection.
