When looking in the city for some crochet materials, I stumbled across this little shop. Here, in addition to the knit clothing that they're more known for, I found some fairly inexpensive 100% wool yarn (€5 for 50g, €10 for 100g skeins). I gladly bought two 50g skeins of two of the beautiful color options and a wooden crochet hook. When I run out of yarn while still in Galway I know where to go back to! read more

O'Maille - 100% wool yarn - Women's Clothing Near Me - Galway, G

A shop that values the tradition and roots of Irish clothing and textiles. We searched high and low for a genuine shop with a good selection. The marketing at other chain stores is much better- but the quality at this store is second to none. The store is less than interesting when you walk in, but once you look at the quality and craftsmanship of the sweaters, you quickly realize how genuinely amazing. These sweaters are better than any I've found in years of hunting. The labels state which craftsman knit the sweater and Anne (the owner) will gladly recount stories of each family and knitter. Anne values the history and integrity of each piece and this was of the utmost importance to me. She was willing to have custom pieces made to order as well, which might be valuable to some. I truly think this spot is the best in Ireland. read more

O'Maille - Signage out front - Women's Clothing Near Me - Galway, G

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This store has a fantastic selection of sweaters and yarn! The owner Ann is passionate and extremely knowledgeable about her products and knitting. The store carries hand knit sweaters with name of person who made them. They are much higher quality and sturdier than any of the machine made items you'll see around in other stores. There are also machine made sweaters for a lower price that are still good quality. Ann spent a lot of time teaching me about the different yarns, finding me ones from the same lot for consistent color, and also knows her suppliers  very well and speaks very fondly of them and their own family business. Supporting this store is also supporting other craftsmen/women! This aran sweater store is worth visiting and supporting. read more

The Aran jumpers at O'Maille are the shop's top sellers. Beautifully hand woven, they come in a variety of sizes, colours and patterns for both men and women. The design of the jumper symbolizes life on the Aran Islands, the birthplace of the jumper. It represents religion and the harsh surroundings of the islanders. The jumpers are made to protect you from the rain and the cold and have become popular around the world. While I appreciate the craftsmanship and story of the Aran jumper, I find the price ridiculous. Some of these jumpers cost close to 200 Euro. Who can afford that? Thankfully, O'Maille sells other affordable clothing, such as Galway hats for 15 Euro and men's scarves for 20. read more

O'Maille - Women's Clothing Near Me - Galway, G

Yes, this store is on the pricier than others. But this is also the only store in Galway and the Aran Islands (and probably all of Ireland!) that sells sweaters that are *hand-knit in Ireland with **wool from Ireland**. If you want an inexpensive, mass produced, machine knitted sweater with non-Irish wool, then don't come here. But come to O'Maille's if you want an authentic, 100% Irish work of art. After advice from an Airbnb host to look for sweaters made of wool from Ireland, I went from store to store, and all the other stores carried only Irish hand-knit sweaters that are made of Merino wool shipped in from Australia or New Zealand, even on Aran Island. I wanted a *real* Irish fisherman's sweater with wool from Ireland! Online research and Yelp steered me to O'Maille. Anne O'Maille herself was in the store and is the one who hires dozens of Irish women to knit sweaters and other items from Irish wool. She herself is a knitter. A few years ago, Anne and the store were featured on Oprah. 20 women in the world were chosen because of their handcrafted work, and Anne was one of them. The young saleswoman (I believe her name is Tanya) was so sweet and spent a lot of time with me, helping me to choose the perfect sweater, and explaining the knitting process. Each hand-knit sweater is unique and each has the name of the knitter on the tag. Each is a piece of art. When you feel and lift the sweaters, you can tell the difference between these and the other hand knit sweaters in other stores - denser, tighter weave, and heavier. It was interesting because Tanya and Anne told me a little about the knitter's history with that pattern. I was leaving with one sweater, but another hanging caught my eye. It was a unique sweater that was made as a sampler of different patterns, knitted by a daughter of one of her best knitters. That daughter knitted too, but stopped for awhile. She just started again and knitted the sampler sweater, something really different and one of a kind. Soooo I bought two sweaters! When you consider what you are getting, $35 extra dollars between the best hand-knit (but one of a mass-produced pattern) sweater at the main competition store, and the top of the line one-of-kind work of art at O'Maille, O'Maille is a bargain! read more

It is hard to say enough good things about this shop. Anne O'Maille and her husband are charming to meet, and to talk to. I was shopping sweaters ("jumpers"?) in Galway, and I had originally planned to take the ferry out to the Aran Isles where they are knit. But first, I asked at my hotel desk, and they recommended O'Mailles. I questioned this, since I wanted good quality, and since most shops in Galway at least dabbled in sweaters. They were firm - see Anne O'maille. Fortunately, I'd already been in to some of the other shops around town. I had already felt the difference in heft & quality between machine-knit sweaters and hand knit ones. So my education had already begun. I was ready for Anne. She knows her knitters by name (she also knits), and she quietly identifies each sweater by the craftswoman who produced it. She encouraged me to begin trying things on - which I was shy about. But it really starts to give you a feel for what you'll like. The shop has a quiet, out-of-the-way feel inside, although it is right there on High street in the thick of the bars and shopping. To say that Anne has the highest quality goods would be to understate the matter. The knitwork in this shop is extraordinary. The sweater I settled on is 100% Donegal tweed, and has the chunkiest, most expert stitching I've ever seen. I went with a charcoal color, which has a very natural look. And getting the fit just right was very important to me, but I am not very knowledgeable about style (I didn't know what a raglan sleeve was). Anne was very patient and helped me to notice which elements fit me well. The shop sells other garments: tweed suits, and hats, and other knitwear such as scarves and hats. Heaven help my wallet when I go back to Ireland (I live in Chicago), it'll be difficult not to go broke at O'maille. Is the merchandise expensive? Yes and no. I actually paid less than I'd planned for the perfect sweater, knowing that once I'm educated about a line of goods, I typically go for the best quality I can afford for an important item. This is no exception. If you will wear a garment often, go for quality. And when you do, you cannot go wrong with this little shop, O'maille. read more

Well, I, for one have been able to purchase two of these stunningly, beautifully woven sweaters. In my opinion, you will not find the likes of what the O'Mailles sell in their shop anywhere else in Ireland (though you may prove me wrong). I actually purchased my first sweater from here online several years ago, and Anne O'Maille was a delight to work with, providing me a narrative of the lovely 90-something woman who actually wove my sweater. So when my girlfriend and I decided to travel to Ireland, I told her one of the only places I absolutely had to visit, was O'Maille where I got to meet Anne in person. Both of us came away with gorgeous sweaters we will have forever! read more

Beautiful shop in the busy downtown of Galway. While not hidden amongst other wool shops, O'Maille definitely stands out. This shop is the only shop to sell knit wool - wear from Ireland, by Irish craftsman, for Irish customers. The wool used in the goods come from Irish sheep or lambs, is sheared, dyed, spun, and woven on Irish soil by craftsmen that the owners know by name. You can absolutely feel the difference in the quality of the wool and of the handwork in these products, and with that comes a higher price tag but your purchase will last a life time. I met Anne when I went to the shop with my family and we were lucky enough to speak with her about the process and hard work that goes in to all the products she sells, as well as the artists behind the goods. Anne spoke of them as old friends and shared some great stories with us. We purchased a number of things including 2 blankets, scarves, shawls, and hats. While not over priced, you will pay more for quality when compared to the products sold on the same street that were made in China and masquerade as authentic! read more