Dubarry of Ireland

Dubarry of Ireland is an Irish-owned company with a collection of premium performance footwear, clothing, leather goods and accessories. Established in 1937, Dubarry markets a range of sailing and country footwear and clothing for both women and men. This includes waterproof, Gore-Tex-lined performance sailing boots and leather deck shoes. In addition to its range of country lifestyle boots, Dubarry also has an extensive range of outerwear, knits and shirting in a wide variety of materials from tweed to Alpaca wool. The headquarters of the company is at Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. Over the years Dubarry has expanded its international sourcing network and now works closely with a select group of specialised production partners worldwide.[1]

For the 18th century French courtesan, see Madame du Barry.
Dubarry of Ireland
TypePrivate
IndustryRetail and premium footwear and clothing manufacturer.
FounderBallinasloe, Chamber of Commerce.
Headquarters
Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland.
Number of locations
Dublin flagship store, 35 College Green, Dublin 2
London flagship store, 34 Duke of York Square, Chelsea
Dubarry factory shop, Ballinasloe, County Galway
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Managing Director: E. Fagan Directors: M. Larkin, M. Walsh, B. Geraghty, S. Óg Hurley, P. McKee.
ProductsCountry boots, sailing boots, Galway boot, Crosshaven sailing boot, tweed clothing, Gore-Tex lined footwear
ServicesRepair, resoling
Websitewww.dubarry.com

History

Dubarry of Ireland was established in 1937 by the newly formed Ballinasloe Chamber of Commerce primarily as a co-operative initiative to provide local employment. Dubarry began trade by manufacturing quality shoes and named itself after Madame du Barry, a famous French courtesan to differentiate the brand from its Irish counterparts and give the brand a continental, European flavour.[2]

In November 2004, Dubarry ceased its manufacturing facility in Ballinasloe, transferring operations to Portugal where it has contract manufacturing partners. Dubarry justified its decision to relocate its entire production line to Portugal on high labour costs in Ireland. The company headquarters, however, as well as its product development, marketing and distribution departments, remain in Ballinasloe.[3]

Products

Sailing boots

Dubarry developed the first ever GORE-TEX® lined, waterproof, fully breathable yachting boot called Shamrock. The current flagship offshore sailing boot, Crosshaven, was developed in consultation with the Volvo Ocean Race Irish entrant, Green Dragon, during 2008/09 round the world race.[4]

Country boots

Dubarry’s signature boot is the Galway boot which is popular and commonly worn by equestrian and other outdoor enthusiasts. The entire country boot range consists of GORE-TEX® lined leather boots.[5]

Clothing

Dubarry launched their first clothing range in 2008[6] and it now includes waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® jackets, Primaloft filled gilets, tweeds and leather accessories.

Retail

Flagship stores

The first Dubarry of Ireland flagship store was opened at 35 College Green, Dublin on 25 October 2012.[7] On 2 October 2013, the second Dubarry flagship store opened its doors at 34 Duke of York Square, Chelsea, London.

Independent retailers

Dubarry wholesale their country and coast collection of footwear, clothing and accessories to many department and speciality stores and also to individual retailers worldwide[8] including the high end stores such as Harrods.

Sponsorship

Dubarry sponsors the home stadium of Buccaneers Rugby Football Club, Dubarry Park, in Athlone, Ireland.

Other

Dubarry's trademark deck shoe is part of the official uniform prescribed in several Dublin schools and unofficially part of the allowed uniform in others. The shoe is infamously worn on a regular basis by the satirical fictional Irish character Ross O'Carroll Kelly where he refers to the shoes as "Dubes".

References
  1. "Shoe & Boot Makers Est. 1937". dubarryboots.com. Dubarry of Ireland. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. Lyons, Tom. "These boots were made for hawking". www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  3. Oram, Hugh. "An Irishman's Diary". www.irishtimes.com/. The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  4. "Back story to a famous name". seahorsemagazine.com. Seahorse Magazine. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  5. "DUBARRY OF IRELAND". www.enterprise-ireland.com. Enterprise Ireland. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  6. "Dubarry launches new range at METS stand 01.157". www.yachtsandyachting.com. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  7. Corcoran, Sorcha. "Dubarry to open flagship store on College Green". www.businessandleadership.com. Business and Leadership. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  8. Deegan, Gordon. "Dubarry rides the crest of overseas sales wave". www.irishexaminer.com/. Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
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