Newbridge Style Icons Museum

Newbridge silverware, used to just produce silver cutlery and tableware. Now, however it has expanded to include designer ranges of contemporary silver jewelry, glass and special occasion giftware by John Rocca, Louise Kennedy etc alongside the still famous cutlery which is a stalwart on Irish wedding gift lists throughout the world. Coupled with celebrity product endorsements which gave rise an exhibition centre, dedicated to Style Icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. From latter day screen legends like Grace Kelly whom the Irish have a particular fondness for to modern day divas like Madonna whom we don’t, only joking. The museum also a display of Beatlemania which no doubt will generate a few flash backs or even hot flushes for some.

My favourite 'moment' , was coming across the actual lamp from the cult (for me anyway, I used to even do the nose twitching bit) television series 'I dream of Jeannie' starring by Larry Hagman. A word of warning though it is difficult to find as there are very few road signs (a long story) take the first left when you cross the bridge into town just after the church and follow the road around then you won’t miss it. There is a huge discount shop on the ground floor of Newbridge Silverware, full of bling and sparkly things and a nice bright café/restaurant.

A word of warning though, Newbridge Silverware is difficult to find as there are very few road signs(a long story) take the first left when you cross the bridge into town just after the church and follow the road around then you wont miss it ! The Museum of Style Icons is an excellent free day out, if you don't lose the run of yourself in the discount shop downstairs! 10 Hidden Gems near the Style Icons Museum

1 Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens learn all about the breeding of Irish horseracing thoroughbreds and visit the Japanese Gardens designed by Tassa Eida which are considered to be the finest in Europe.

2 St Brigid’s Well, Tully, is a holy well dedicated to St Brigid who was a pagan Goddess long before she was revered as a Christian saint. The second patron saint of Ireland (after St Patrick) her feast day is the 1st of February.

3 Kildare Church, Kildare. St Brigid talked a High King of Ireland into granting her as much land as her cloak would cover to build an abbey here in the 5th century. Legend has it that when she laid out her cloak it spread out for miles from this very spot.

4 Kildare Shopping Outlet is a collection of designer shops selling cut price stock it is very popular with Irish and International visitors with a free courtesy bus to the train station in Kildare.

5 The Curragh is a very famous and popular racing venue in Ireland where you can see racehorses been ridden out early each morning. Huge flocks of sheep account for it being nibbled to the perfection of a mown lawn.

6 Knockaulin Hillfort, Killcullen, not many people know about this place which is considered to be on a par with the Hill of Tara in terms of its ceremonial and strategic importance in Celtic times.

7 Rock of Dunamase take a left before Portlaoise if you are headed towards Cork, signposted the heath to explore another little known archeological gem considered to be the Acropolis of Ireland.

8 Robertstown is a lovely old forgotten about town on the Grand Canal which linked Dublin to the river Shannon in the hey day of barge passenger and cargo traffic prior to the invention of the steam engine.

9 Straffan Butterfly Farm learn the difference between a butterfly and a moth and why the Great Blue is extinct in Britain (open during the summer only.

10 Straffan Steam Museum and Lodgepark Walled Gardens a heady mix of steam power and flower power.

For more information on Newbridge Silverware please click here.