Our Heritage
Madigan is a family business run by husband and wife Richard and Elaine Madigan. Together they share a deep passion for Irish design, luxury and quality, which has led to their love, their family and the Madigan you experience today.
Richard comes from a 4th generation family of watchmakers and jewellers. His own interest was developed by working with his Father at the watchmaker’s bench. Both Richard and Elaine grew up in South County Dublin, Richard as the youngest of three boys and Elaine as the eldest of five girls.
The inspiration for the paths they have chosen stems from the influence of Richard’s Father who was a horologist (watchmaker) and Elaine’s mother, who was a seamstress.
Elaine’s Mother taught her to design, draft a pattern and make a beautiful garment.
At the tender age of fifteen Richard and Elaine met & fell in love. They married at twenty one and headed off to Australia.
They returned to Ireland in 1990 and within the next four years Emma, Sarah and Matthew were part of the family. Very quickly Richard and Elaine set up two jewellery shops within the space of a year.
They were both very hands on both with the business and at home with the children. Always needing the creative aspect in her life, Elaine spent a lot of time designing and making clothes for herself and her daughters.
Within the jewellery businesses, Richard adapted and developed the skills he had learned from his Father.
The Madigan family built a house in the countryside of Straffan in Co Kildare. This was heaven for Richard as he was a keen horseman and this allowed him to be immersed in the equestrian world.
He continued to run the jewellery business and Elaine opened a boutique in the neighbouring town of Naas.
It was here she saw a niche for a luxury Irish made cashmere collection. As her talent was in textile, she decided she wanted to know more about the knitwear business...She went back to college and learned what she needed to know. And so Madigan Cashmere was born.
Richard decided to close the jewellery shops and focus on the Madigan universe, opening the first Madigan store in Dublin at the Westbury Mall in 2016.
Cashmere is the basis of the brand, however the success of the brand has meant the possibility to expand the Madigan Universe to include fragrance as well as a collection of luxury silks.
In January of 2020, Madigan expanded to a newer, larger shop in the Westbury Mall and thanks to the incredible support of their loyal customers, the brand continued to grow despite the challenges of store closures.
In 2021, Richard launched 'Madigan Jewellery', a testament to his family lineage: 5 generations of horologists & jewellers, with a dream to introduce a traditional watch made completely in Ireland.
As Madigan has grown, so has the family.
Richard & Elaine's eldest daughter, Sarah married her husband Max in March 2018 and walked down the aisle in a Madigan cashmere coat studded with tiny knitted gold stars.
Their second daughter, Emma was married to Philip in a beautiful low back Madigan cashmere sweater in December 2020.
Now proud grandparents of 3 beautiful grandchildren: Lola, Charlie & Madeline, Elaine was inspired to introduce a new collection of Madigan Baby heirloom sets to mark these special moments.
With the arrival of the newest members of the family, Elaine began to dream of a bigger future for Madigan and how to make that possible.
Travelling to the beautiful land of Nepal, Elaine sought a kindred spirit that would share our values of hand crafted, exquisite quality cashmere. It was here that she struck up an incredible new partnership with another family owned business who could help produce a selection of pieces in the collection.
Made from the same finest quality Italian and Scottish Cashmere on our same handflat knitting machines, Elaine is thrilled to expand her collection of Irish-Made Cashmere, with a selection of new designs that still express the quality and craftsmanship that have become synonymous with the Madigan name, that are proudly made in Nepal.
Simple, Beautiful Things. Designed/Made in Ireland to Last a Lifetime.
2023 was a landmark year for Madigan, with the success of their partnerships with their wonderful stockists & the flourishing of their online business with their new digital experience. The success of this year has allowed for the next phase for Madigan: a beautiful new Madigan Studio & headquarters that will be ready at the end of 2024.
In the meantime, Madigan is so lucky to be able to go fully digital, with beautiful garments still available through their stockists and with exciting domestic & international pop-ups planned for 2024. We love what we do and we cannot wait to share more of this journey with you.
And so, the journey continues
Two people who fell in love at a very young age, have survived the trials and tribulations of bringing up a family, running numerous businesses, surviving a recession and still continue to follow their passion for beautiful things, for their family and for each other.
Take a Tour
Enjoy a one on one tour of Madigan Cashmere with the founder Elaine Madigan
Our Philosophy
