Royal jacket designed by Portroe woman

A designer born and raised in Portroe is really getting a name for herself when it comes to dressing royalty.
The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton might not know it, but when she visited Ireland last week with her husband Prince William, the belted Dubarry jacket she was wearing was designed by Toinette Seymour, a woman born and reared and still living in Portroe.
Kate flew the flag of Irish fashion on the royal couple's second day of their official trip to Ireland last Wednesday when they visted a farm in Grange, Co Meath, delighting the Ballinasloe based company Dubarry, creators of the olive green lightweight utility Gore-Tex jacket crafted by their Head Designer Ms Seymour.
Indeed, this is not the first time that the Dutchess of Cambridge has chosen a fashion item from Dubarry that was designed Ms Seymour.
Just a little over a year ago Kate wore a Dubarry bracken tweed jacket at her first public engagement in the UK in 2019.
Not only did Ms Seymour design that jacket for Dubarry's on that occasion, but she sourced the original fabric for the piece from John Hanly & Co, the specialist Irish designs company based in Ballycommon.
That Kate wore their bracken tweed jacket proved to be a major coup for Dubarry's as the firm was subseuently hit by a tidal wave of orders for the fashion item. 
Now the company is again trying to cope with a similar rise in demand for the latest jacket after the Duchess and her Prince visited the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Innovation Centre in Co Meath on March 4th.
Ms Seymour designed the latest in-demand jacket two years ago, at that time creating the first initial sketch for the piece.
"It took about a year to develop the style fully. That’s the typical lead time required for this type of functional jacket," she told The Guardian.
Ms Seymour added: "The fabric was dyed into custom Dubarry colours, including the Olive colour that Kate wore.
"A lot of time and effort went into getting the fit just right. We went through several fitting samples to get the perfect fit.
"The garment also has to be tested to make sure it was fully waterproof. There’s quite a lot of technical know-how involved."
Ms Seymour added: "The Duchess really looked stylish in the belted jacket as she has a tiny waist. She understands Irish and English country style very well and we are all excited here at Dubarry. We try to create a classic style that will last for years and years.
"Our website has been hopping," she Ms Seymour, as customers try to get their hands on the same jacket.
"Personally I am delighted for myself and for the great team here, the other designers and our marketers," said the Portroe woman, a graduate of the National College of Art and Design who worked for many years in the fashion industry in the US before returning to Portroe and joining Dubarry.