We are now in the year of the Dragon. To celebrate Lladro have made the limited edition Red Dragon. The sculptor is Joan Coderch. There will be 1,888 pieces worldwide and the size is 14X18cm. We will be stocking the Red Dragon in our China and Crystal department on the Lower ground floor of our Grafton Street store. 
Weir & Sons were mentioned on the front page of the Irish Times on Monday the 16th. The article is below.
Game finally over after 50 years for silver chess trophy
IN THE polishing room at the top of the house of Weirs on Grafton Street, a spring clean uncovered a conundrum.
A small silver trophy had been left for engraving but never picked up – after 50 years awaiting inscription – and it was time to do something.
“It’s always been there in the polishing room,” said Allan Kilpatrick of Weir Sons jewellers. “We were doing a bit of spring cleaning, it was cleaned up . . . It needed to find its rightful owner.”
With a rook in the centre and knights on either side, the trophy, made by Alwright Marshall silversmiths, was the Irish Times Game of the Year chess trophy, it turns out.
The trophy was awarded to the best Irish chess player or a chess player in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s. Picking from the best “half-dozen or so games” played that year, Irish Times chess correspondent JJ Walsh would forward the scores from the games for independent adjudication.
“Some competitors still appear to be unaware of what constitutes an ideal game of the year entry,” Walsh noted in an article in 1962.
“The overall play is what really matters and a careful note is taken of the loser’s display, for the strength of his resistance in the game can enhance the achievement of the winner.”
Inscribed on the back of the trophy were the names of the five title winners from 1958 to 1962, the final recipient one ‘V Maher’. The Irish Times archive reveals it was a Dr Vincent Maher, but where to find him?
“We believe you won the Irish Times [chess] Game of Year in 1962, Dr Maher?” we said, having tracked the retired GP to Stockport, England.
Born in Dublin in 1929 and educated at Newbridge College, where he learned chess at 13, within six months Vincent Maher could beat everyone at school. He emigrated to England in 1953 and in 1954 he played his first chess Olympiad in Amsterdam. Irish champion in 1955, he won the I rish Times prize in 1961 and in 1962.
“Yes, I’ve got the trophy,” says Dr Maher from the home he shares with his wife Edith. Aged 82, he continues to play, although not competitively.
So who owns the trophy in the polishing room at Weirs?
Walsh explains: “Whoever would win the title would get to keep the [perpetual] trophy for a year; then they would get a replica to keep for good. I don’t know what happened to the trophy when the competition more or less ran out of steam.”
Checkmate.
The Weir Festive Evening 2011 was a great success. Mulled wine and Canapes were enjoyed by all.
Inspired by the mountain Montblanc meaning White Mountain (is the highest mountain in the Alps). Montblanc make the finest writing instruments on the planet.
On the first of November we opened our Montblanc Boutique on the ground floor. The cabinets were made to the highest spec by Montblanc in Germany and are fitted with LED lights reducing energy consumption and our CO2 footprint. The Boutique will showcase the largest range of Montblanc Pens and Accessories in Ireland. Pride of place in the new display is the new limited edition Mark Twain writers edition Pen.
Designs of Excellence is a collection of stunning jewellery that showcases latest trends and top designing talent.
The collection comprises outstanding pieces of jewellery that are sported on the necks, wrists and hands of celebrities including Madonna, Cheryl Cole and the Beckhams and are made up of a variety of styles, metals and gems.
The collection is on show on our lower ground floor in our Grafton street store.
‘For some years now i have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that would attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous. I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company’. Hans Wilsdorf 6 March 1946, having already created the Rolx watch Company.
We are proudly showcasing a Vintage Gentlemens Tudor Chronautic automatic wrist watch. Ref: 79390P. The funtions on this timepiece are hours, minutes, sweep seconds, date and chronograph and comes fitted with a black calf leather stitched strap, with a steel deployment clasp embossed with the Tudor logo. It is water resistant to 100 meters or 300 feet. The perfect gift for the watch enthusiast in your life!
Launched in 1953 the submariner was the first watch guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 meters. The submariner is one of the most collectable Rolex watches. The current model has a ceramic Bezel which makes it extremely hard to scratch. The photo below shows the green bezel edition.
We are now running a promotion offering 30% off all Sunglasses in stock. Ray Ban, Maui Jim, Police, Emporio Armani, Boss and Dunhill are included. There are a wide range of styles in stock and something to suit everyones taste.
We have been running the Missoma brand of Jewellery for the last month and have been very happy with the results. Missoma is the creation of a mother and daughter team comprising of Michele and her two daughters Sophie and Marisa Hordern. Missoma is striking for its use of vivid natural gemstones set in sterling silver and 18ct gold vermiel. There are five different collections within the range; Hex, Claw, Hot Rox, Serpent and Deco. Each of the collections has a different inspiration or theme. Prices start from €49 for stud earrings. We would love to get your feedback on the brand.
We opened an Omega Boutique in the store yesterday (the 25th of July). It fits in very well with the surrounding cabinetry and is made to the highest standard. There is no clash between modern and old. The majority of it is acid etched glass which gives the Omega sign a 3 dimensional feel to it. All lighting is Led which helps to reduce our carbon footprint and provides a good colour.
The original cases were all kept and relocated to the first floor as they have been in the company since 1906 and have helped to enhance the selling space on the first floor.