The Bearded Candle Makers’ Michael Morris on the important connection between scent and memory

"The power of connect is just amazing."

A smell can bring up a memory of a particular place; a moment in time or even a particular feeling. And how wonderful would it be to capture that particular aroma and be able to conjure that memory whenever you wanted? For The Bearded Candle Makers' Michael Morris, the link between scent and memory is so important - and something he had been interested in for as long as he could remember. The artisan candlemaker began to develop scents that explore the link between smells and memories, drawing on his own experiences from when he was growing up and inspiration. A lot of The Bearded Candle Makers' work is based on parts of Ireland, with scents based on things from the Burren to the wildflowers in Donegal; a real turf fire to the sea. He told Her how his current career started originally as a passion for scent, and how he initially intended to move on to the perfume industry. But after realising how soothing he found the candle making process to be, he began to develop his unique candle creations. He said:

"I wanted to create candles that were very specific to me; the places and things that I fell in love with. "I spent a lot of time on the west coast while I was growing up, so I kind of wanted to make something that was in relation to me - which is kind of how the Achill Island one came about, and loads of people are connecting with it. "And there's one, Midnight Mass, that people always say takes them back to the Christmases of their childhood. "Anything I’m passionate about, I love making it into a candle - its’ a great way to connect with people."

Drawing on memories from the holiday season, Michael recently debuted a new festive-inspired collection on Instagram - which includes candles seasonal scents like Spiced Hot Toddies; Christmas in a Tin; and Ginger Beard (which we reckon may be akin to gingerbread?). Basically, a Christmas dream come true. He told us how the link between scent and memory is something he enjoys exploring, particularly when it helps people particularly connect with his work. He explained:

"The power of connect is just amazing. "I think scent and memory go hand and hand; the part of the brain that goes through memory is triggered by scent, it’s one of the most primal parts of the brain. "There’s certain smells, like sandalwood, that bring back memories - people always say that that one reminds them of their granny."

Earlier this year, The Bearded Candle Makers unveiled their book lover's collection, which drew on many classic novels as inspiration - including The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.  There's even a Harry Potter-inspired one, called Elder Wands and Phoenix Feathers.   A lot of the initial five candle collection has now sold out, but Michael told us how he would like to continue to explore the books more - and develop more creative scents based on the books. He added:

"There’s so much scope, so I’d love to explore some of the books more. "It tends to take a few months work to create a scent. A lot of candle makers would buy a scent, whereas I buy the base oils and blend the scents - so one candle could take months.

"I'm a massive fan of books, especially Harry Potter. People often ask me to make one that smells like Snape's Dungeon - which, admittedly, I'm not too sure how it would work out. "Another one I'd like to make at some point is one based on Dumbledore's office, I think that would be great."

Michael will be hosting the next instalment of Bushmills' #BlackBushStories event in Dublin's Drury Buildings on November 27 and 28 - to register for a chance to attend the event, click here.