End of an era as artist closes beautiful Donegal store

The Millcourt Mews in Donegal Town is bidding goodbye to one of its most iconic store tenants, artist Jerusha Marley. But rest assured, this talented lady is not going far, and her gorgeous range of silk scarves, prints, and more will still be available.

Jerusha has announced that with businesses across Ireland stocking her products and having grown an online customer base, the time has come to leave the physical retail store. Her final day in the Millcourt Mews is Saturday, May 30, and Jerusha would love her friends and customers to call in.

Outlining the reasons for her decision, she says: “As the business continues to grow with the Jerusha Marley collections now stocked in shops across Ireland and our website serving customers around the world, the time feels right to return to a private studio space and focus fully on the creative process.

“Having a rural studio will allow me to dedicate more time to designing, creating and developing new collections while continuing to share my work through the website and wonderful stockists nationwide.

“I would love to invite you to subscribe through the website to stay up to date with new releases, workshops, behind-the-scenes updates and some very exciting news that will be coming soon. You'll also find a full list of stockists there if you're looking for my creations in the future.

“As this chapter comes to a close, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible Mill Court Mews community. It has been an absolute joy to be surrounded by such wonderful businesses and beautiful people over the years.

“A very special thank you to the owners of Mill Court Mews for their unwavering support, kindness, encouragement and for creating such a special place for small businesses to grow and flourish. You have been an absolute pleasure to work alongside and I am deeply grateful for all your support over the years.

“And to every customer who has walked through the door, thank you for the conversations, the laughs, the tears, the hugs, the support and the friendships.

“This space has been a place of tremendous growth, learning, connection and I will treasure those memories forever. So many of you arrived as customers and have become friends which is something I will always cherish.

“The studio will still be local, so please know the door is always open!

“I'd love for you to call in for our final day in this space. Let's celebrate the end of a beautiful chapter and the beginning of an exciting new one. There will be lots of special offers, plenty of love and hopefully the chance to see many familiar faces one last time in the shop.

“With huge gratitude and excitement for what's to come, Jerusha.”

In an earlier feature for Donegal Life, a magazine produced by the Donegal Democrat / Donegal Live team, Jerusha shared the creative process and inspiration behind her stunning range. Jerusha’s delightful offering of high quality products oozes luxury while tapping into the deepest layers of our collective cultural psyche.

Celebrating motherhood, the divine feminine, mythology, and the connection to the land is very much at the heart of Jerusha's creativity. Her range includes printed fabrics such as silk scarves and linen cushions, as well as sumptuous tweeds, finely crafted wood products, deer hide furniture. There is also a range of prints full of rich colours and intricate drawings which are mirrored in many of the other items in store.

“Everything starts with a freehand drawing,” explains Jerusha. “That is where my passion is, where it all comes from. The divine feminine, motherhood, that is all really important and it is something that people seem to really like.”

She and her partner live exclusively off the land, growing or hunting their own food. The deer hide element of the business is a bye-product of this lifestyle. These are used along with recycled wood or timber from fallen trees to make a unique furniture range which is proving very popular with customers.

The couple also use fallen trees to make breadboards and other items. Some of these are available in the shop, others are bespoke creations, taking pride of place in homes around the country.

Another element of her business is a collaboration with Molloy’s in Ardara.

“They are fourth generation weavers,” says Jerusha. “I created a tweed collection with them that is a nod to the tradition of Donegal tweed.

“I created three separate collections - the blanket shawls, baby wraps, and Brigid’s cloaks. They are inspired by the three goddesses, Eiru, Danu and Brigid.”

Working with an authentic Donegal tweed company is very much in keeping with Jerusha’s ethos.

“Transperency is very important to me,” she says. “It is about knowing where everything comes from and who is involved in making it, that people are getting paid properly for their work, and that there is an awareness of sustainability.”

Jerusha’s work can be viewed at at jerushamarley.com