Ireland is full of myths and legends and is well known for its stories about everything from faerie thorns and banshees, to mermaids and warrior goddesses.
Portrush designer and stylist, Sara O’Neill, has long been fascinated by the old stories of the land and in recent years, has incorporated them into her work. Indeed, her Éadach range of silk scarves is inspired by folklore north and south of the border, and blends these ancient tales with the colours of the landscape into luxurious wearable art.
All hand-drawn from scratch using pencils, Sara uploads her finished designs onto the computer, before printing them off onto soft, smooth silk, meaning that each illustration is therefore incredibly detailed.
With a variety of oversize silk scarves already available, Sara’s latest addition to the Éadach range is a skinny black and white scarf, which harks back to her own gothic roots. Having experimented with her style over the years, channelling both the Goth and punk looks, Sara was keen to create something stylish which represented that part of her.
The result is The Morrígan skinny scarf, inspired by the Celtic goddess of war and fate, who was said to shape-shift into a crow or raven and foretold death.
“She’s part of a trio of goddesses called ‘the three Morrígna’,” says Sara. “This was a weird one because I had wanted to do a skinny scarf for ages and my mum had said I should do something inspired by the statue of the mythical hero Cú Chulainn.
Photo Joe McGivern, model: Alana Henderson, makeup: Sharon Watson.
“There’s a bronze statue in the Dublin GPO (General Post Office) of Cú Chulainn, with a crow on his shoulder, but at the time, I didn’t pick up on the connection with The Morrígan, or knew anything about her.”
The story goes that Cú Chulainn accidentally spurned Morrígan on one particular occasion, not realising who she was. She then foretold his death and when he later died, a black bird – Morrígan – landed on his shoulder, signifying to his enemies that he was truly dead.
Mulling over what her design for the new skinny scarf could be, inspiration ultimately came for Sara through a series of coincidences and dreams, which led her to the mythical story.
“I knew I wanted to do something that was getting back to my gothic roots, and one day I had a dream I was a Goth again,” she says. “I woke up with The Crow (film) soundtrack in my head, so I googled crows. That was how I found out about The Morrígan.
“At the time, I was styling a music video for the musician Alana Henderson (who toured with Hozier), in a beautiful stately home. Her music is stunning and ethereal and haunting, and being with her made her slightly the muse for this. That’s why Alana is the face of the scarf, as the print is also a homage to the music, literature, art and fashion I loved during my teenage Goth years.”
Photo: Joe McGivern, model: Alana Henderson, makeup: Sharon Watson
With a concrete idea of what she wanted to feature on the scarf, Sara got to work, drawing new illustrations for the design as well as incorporating older artwork. Indeed, the striking black and white silk scarf, which is fully reversible, includes a drawing she did a few years ago, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death.
The Morrígan skinny scarf subsequently includes a beautifully intricate illustration of a woman wearing a masque, which acts as a key focal point to the rest of the design. Twisted hawthorn branches, reminiscent of Ireland’s faerie thorns, also feature.
Meanwhile, woven into the design is an interconnected symbol of triple spirals, representing the trio of goddesses, as well as black roses. These pay tribute to a time when ‘The Dark Rose’ was used as a metaphor for Ireland, and also evoke WB Yeats, who referred to roses in his early poetry. Yeats is another huge influence on Sara’s work and he used the rose to symbolise women and Ireland in his writing.
Ravens, of course, also feature on the scarf, along with the third eye, while stars and feathers are scattered throughout the fabric, along with the phrase ‘Create your own legend.’
Photo Joe McGivern, model: Alana Henderson, makeup: Sharon Watson.
“The Morrígan has the power to help people channel their inner strength,” says Sara. “Like so many strong characters in Irish mythology, she represents female power and energy and is known as a protector. When I looked into it, Ireland has so many strong women and I prefer to concentrate on those women in my work.”
Photo Joe McGivern, model: Alana Henderson, makeup: Sharon Watson.
Designed exclusively for The Marvel Room at Brown Thomas in Dublin, The Morrígan skinny scarf has already featured in The Irish Times Magazine. Meanwhile, with plenty to inspire her along the north coast, and throughout Ireland, Sara is already brewing up ideas for fresh designs, so watch this space….
The Morrígan skinny scarf can be ordered directly from The Marvel Room, Brown Thomas: +353-1-6056666. [Price: €100. Measurements: 203cm x 14 cm, double-sized silk twill. Ltd edition of 300.]
Sara’s oversize silk scarves from the Éadach range are also available to purchase from BTS – Concept Store – Interiors + Lifestyle in Coleraine.
Website: https://eadachbysaraoneill.com/ 
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