Irish tattoos to celebrate St Patrick’s Day

On the 17th of March, everyone is Irish. And if you’re not, you’re missing out.

Ask most people in New Zealand and they’ll say they have Irish blood in them somewhere, so to honour this year’s St Patrick’s Day, we’ve found some of the best Irish tattoos on the web to give you inspiration in case you feel like kissing the Blarney Stone this Sunday.

St Patrick

Let’s start with the man himself, St Patrick. You may be surprised to find that he wasn’t even Irish! He was probably Welsh, and was kidnapped by Irish raiders and held as a slave. He escaped, went back to Britain, found Jesus, and then returned to Ireland to spread the good word. In other words, a right mad bastard altogether!

4 leaf clover

What’s better than finding a lucky 4 leaf clover? Having one tattooed on your forever! The odds of finding a 4 leaf clover are 10,000 to 1, so why bother spending hours looking when you can have on on your wrist at all times?

Celtic Cross

Back when St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, the locals needed a bit of convincing, so he took their existing pegan stone circle design which represented the sun, and added the Christian cross to it. Thus the Celtic Cross was born!

A leprechaun

Leprechauns are often pictured as evil, and rightly so. According to Irish mythology, these wee buggers will trick you any chance they get, but the good news is, if you catch one, you’ll be granted a wish in return for their release!

The Celtic Harp

The symbol of Ireland, found on Irish Passports and official documents, is the ancient Irish Harp. The mirror image of the harp is the true symbol, but Guinness got in there first and made it a trademark, so when the Irish gained independence from the British and needed a national emblem, they had to flip it to stop getting sued!

A pint of Guinness

Speaking of Guinness, check out this awesome traditional tattoo with a wee hint of the Irish. :)

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone!

The last ever Great Auckland Flash Party!

It’s that time of year again folks!

The Great Auckland Flash Party is on its way again and this will be its final year!

Where and when?

This year’s event will be held over the 5th and 6th of April right here at Sunset Studio - two days of tattoo madness!

As usual, the party is walk-ins only - it’s first come first served! This is your chance to get a new tattoo from one of New Zealand and Australia’s most celebrated artists, who are sometimes booked months in advance.

Doors open at 11am, so get down early to avoid the queues!

How it works

Each artist will put a variety of fresh new line drawings up in the shop, with lower than usual pricing, ranging from around $100-$300.

It’s first come first served, and we have hundreds of line drawings to choose from, so the first people here get a bargain with our special, one-time only, Flash Party prices!

Walk in on the day, pick a design, and get it done - it’s as simple as that!

Which artists are attending?

We have some of the very best tattoo artists in New Zealand and Australia ready and willing to give you a tattoo you’ll love forever.

The team from Sunset will be there of course, including TomTom, Tristan, Mash, Milky, Magali, and Lucky Felix.

Adrian Hing, Daniel Joseph and Habby Tattoo from The Darling Parlour in Sydney will be coming over for the Party, as will Chingy Fringe from the Gold Coast.

Other artists from around New Zealand will be heading to Auckland, including Rohan Skilton and Mike Todd from Monarch Tattoo in Wellington.

Remember, this is the last ever Great Auckland Flash Party, so this is your last chance to grab one of hundreds of designs at special flash day prices!

Don’t forget to check out our Instagram for daily posts of our guest artists work! @sunset_tattoo_nz

How to keep your tattoo looking like new

Tattoos fade over time, this is just an inevitable effect of the body’s natural defence system, but you can do some things to keep your ink as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

1. Follow Aftercare Instructions

The most important thing you can do to make your tattoo last is to follow the aftercare instructions your artist gives you. There’s plenty of advice out there, especially on the internet, about aftercare, but listen to the professionals.

Make sure you know what to do when leaving the studio, and make sure you have all the creams/lotions you need to do the job properly. Here at Sunset, we recommend Protat aftercare cream.

Keep your new tattoo clean

A tattoo is technically an open wound, so the most important thing is to keep it clean. As long as you follow common-sense rules, this should be simple enough. Remember, anytime you touch your new ink, it should only be because you’re cleaning it or applying aftercare cream. And if you do touch it, make sure your hands are clean.

Avoid getting it unnecessarily dirty like rolling around in the mud or going to a swimming pool, and when showing it off, don’t let people get their stinking hands on it!

Avoid the sun and UV light

Exposure to ultraviolet light is the biggest factor in damaging a new tattoo. Stay out of the sun for at least a couple of weeks, and - I can’t believe we have to tell people this - don’t use a sunbed.

If you have to be outdoors, always cover up, and use plenty of moisturiser, even after it’s fully healed. This will ensure that your skin stays hydrated, more elastic and prevent the effects of aging.

Where on your body should you get a tattoo?

Whether you're getting your 1st or 50th tattoo, you might still be wondering where it should go on your body. If it’s your first, you’re probably wondering about more painful areas, but if it’s your 50th, you might be more concerned about running out of room!

Why Placement Matters

Finding the right spot for a new tattoo is important because it can make your new ink look its absolute best.

Different factors affect the final product, such as size, colour or orientation. A large dragon for example will look good on your chest or back, but a small tattoo will get lost in so much space and would look better on a wrist of shoulder.

Visibility

If you’re getting a tattoo, you must know the consequences of its permanency.

If you are worried about your granny seeing it, or if it will affect your employment chances, then get it somewhere you can hide. Even for yourself - do you want to look at it every day for the rest of your life? If not, put it on your back so you can only see it in the mirror or in photographs.

If it is your 50th tattoo, then you probably don’t give a shit where it is or who sees it. :)

Does size really matter?

When it comes to tattoos, yes.

The bigger the piece, the more elaborate it can be. If you want any kind of lettering or script, then you need to place it somewhere it can be big enough to read.

At the end of the day, it’s always your choice, but please have a chat with your tattoo artist about the best place to put your new ink. They know more than you and have helped hundreds of people, so they know what they’re doing.

If you are looking for a new tattoo, then come and see us here at Sunset. Our experienced and friendly artists will be happy to help in any way they can.

The origins of St Valentine's Day - Probably

Valentine's Day is here again, and as a time to celebrate romance and love, it’s a day we can all appreciate.

Unless we’re single.

But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody and a little bit muddled.

No one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one good place to start is ancient Rome, where from Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.

The festival included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be together for the rest of the party - or longer if they happen to “click”.

It was Emperor Claudius II who gave us the name for St Valentines Day by executing two men— both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine's Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn't stop it from being a day of fertility and love.

Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin's Day. Galatin meant "lover of women." That was likely confused with St. Valentine's Day at some point, in part because they sound alike.

Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticise Valentine's Day in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe, and as the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter.

Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. And in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass producing valentines. February has not been the same since.

Many couples choose Valentines Day to get a matching tattoo, so if you’re in the mood this year, bring your significant other down to Sunset and we’ll do the rest.