The Aran Roll Neck in soft Merino wool: Timeless Irish Craftsmanship: a cornerstone of men’s fashion this season by West End Knitwear

West End Knitwear: how the brand was founded:

‘The village of Monasterevin in the county of Kildare, Ireland, is the home of West End Knitwear. The company was originally established by Molly Cullen in 1957, after creating beautiful Aran designs with her mother and grandmother for many years. Molly’s dream was a family knitting business whose heritage stretched back for over 100 years. Molly is the granddaughter of Kate O’Shea, who in 1856 was the first craftswoman in Ireland to commercially market her robust, hand knitted woollens. Molly Cullen recognised a market for fashionable Aran style knitwear and established West End Knitwear in her home village of Monasterevin.

‘Proud to keep the tradition alive, West End Knitwear was continued by Molly’s sons Paul and John Cullen, who saw the opportunity to incorporate the best traditional aspects of their mother’s Aran sweaters into modern and fashionable styles. These new styles we would come to recognise as the benchmark for modern Aran cable knit sweaters.

Today West End is the biggest knitwear maker in Ireland, with a vibrant workforce under Molly’s grandsons Niall and Barry Cullen. As the designers and producers of the finest quality Irish Aran Knitwear, the extensive range uses the traditional Irish Aran Stitches throughout our garments which are believed to bring luck, success and health to the wearer, ensuring that they keep their long-treasured history of traditional Irish craft. Each stitch tells a story—most notably in this roll neck, the central honeycomb Aran stitch, symbolising the industrious honeybee or the tireless grit of fishermen braving the Atlantic. Flanking this, intricate cable stitches evoke the sturdy ropes that tethered lives to the sea, weaving a narrative of resilience and Irish coastal legacy.

‘West End Knitwear is conscious of its roots in the past; however, the company has its eyes focused on the future. From its situation in the west end of Europe it takes pride in being the first company to manufacture garments originally designed for those engaged in a rugged, outdoor life. These garments are worn by men and women with pride and pleasure.

‘Both the Aran Crafts and Nua collections are made to the highest standards using the finest quality materials: Merino wool, pure new wool, linen/cotton, cashmere and introducing new super-soft merino wool.’

For more superb knitwear designs by West End Knitwear at best CountryClubuk prices, click here.

For more high quality men’s knitwear at CountryClubuk, please click here!

Orders from CountryClubuk Members only please. Not yet a Member? Click here to join CountryClubuk now and save hundreds of pounds on Day One!