Where do I even begin dolls? Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be where we are today with our Irish Dolls in London [DW1] community. What started out as a drunken idea with my wee lassie Gemma from Armagh, creating a Facebook group with Irish girls that we met just to stay connected with, have an odd night out or lunch with here and there, to then create a community of over eight thousand followers across Facebook & Instagram! Jaysis.
It has been an absolute whirlwind, but I am so proud of our group and what we have achieved as a collective.
I will introduce everyone to the history of IDIL that we founded in 2018 in my next blog post but for now I wanted to recap on our shenanigans from 2023! Did you join us?
We hosted the ultimate "Galantines" night out at Tonight Josephine in February and then channelled our inner "Zen" in March with our "Empowerment & Yoga Workshop" with Tropic Flow Yoga and Megan Prendergast. The Claddagh Ring was our go to spot for St Patrick's day where we delighted in pints of Guinness, good Irish pub grub and took off dancing like we were auditioning for Riverdance.
The Breakfast Club was introduced once a month for the Irish Dolls to meet up, grab a coffee and have a chinwag all while exploring a new area in London. Our seasoned hiker, Laura Smyth, led the way on our Seven Sister's hike in April which was harder than we anticipated but the views were incredible. A few shoes may have been lost on the river passing but we survived.
Our summer party in May was held at the Tank & Paddle in Bishopsgate where a lone ranger male from Australia wondered in and stayed for the craic. Brave man!
Our summer was filled with Breakfast Club walks and picnics while we had the sun. In July we headed to The Grand Junction Arms in Acton for a wet & windy summer meet up, but it did not stop us from trekking over to The Parish in Wembley for a messy night out.
Our County Colours night in August was one of my favourite events this year and all I can say is young love was found and they are still going strong to this day.
Laura took us off on another hike around Surrey Hills and we thought it was only right to end up drinking some wine! Denbies Wine Estate is a must visit for all you wine lovers.
O’Shea’s Cafe Wembley invited us down to try out their grub in September and my god it did not disappoint! Best spot in North London for the Irish cuisine and the potato farls are lush. Their cocktail nights on Friday & Saturday's are not to be missed and I recommend the apple pie!
Coole Swan kindly sponsored our Halloween Party in October at The Hercules on Holloway and I consumed about fifteen shots of baby Guinness & The Barbie. The Ship in Southwark is the place to be on Sunday's with their trad music session and they really looked after us dolls in November - like a home from home.
In November we also visited the pop-up store for Ella & Jo Cosmetics on Oxford Street, and I could not have fallen in love with a brand more. Charlene, Niamh, Jenny, and the team were sound as a pound, and it is no wonder they have won so many awards. Melt the day away cleansing balm is now my go-to!
And we finish on a high note - our Drag Bingo Brunch with London’s Married Drag Duo at The Duchess in Hammersmith. This was THE BEST event of the year with every doll being absolutely roasted by Aidan Orange and Miss Joelle. Thanks to Aisling for taking me home :)
I actually feel tired thinking about all the prep that has gone into the events, so I am patting myself on the back - well done Gemma! AND to the amazing Angela who has come on board to help me with the events, drop-in when I am stressed, and for being the calm to my storm - thank you.
The IDIL website launched this year and so has my Squats & Shots podcast and they have become my babies. I love them and I am so proud of them. We have new regional WhatsApp groups launching this month too so Irish Dolls will be expanding - keep an eye out for your new local admins!
I would like to thank all the fabulous businesses who kindly donated gifts and vouchers to the dolls this year. God bless ye all.
If you came to an event this year, it was a pleasure. If you are yet to come to one, then you are truly missing out. The craic is mighty!
I hope Christmas is filled with love, laughter, good food, great company, Guinness & Hot Whisky and getting the shift in your local pub ;) and if you find the holiday season tough then I hope you find magical moments to help you get through it.
Love & Light Dolls
Gemma x
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