Meabh McCurtin
An Irish-born IFF perfumer mentored by Dominique Ropion, who transitioned from biochemistry into perfumery.
France
About Meabh McCurtin
Meabh McCurtin was born and raised on the west coast of Ireland, the daughter of a physicist father and a mother who studied English literature. She grew up on a university campus surrounded by books and meteorological maps, playing fiddle and piano in a traveling Irish band from an early age.
Career
She studied biochemistry at the National University of Ireland, Galway, then pursued a master's degree in molecular biology at the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon, where she discovered her true calling as a perfumer and changed course. Her path took her through Geneva, Amsterdam, and Paris before New York, where she trained under IFF master perfumer Dominique Ropion.
Creative Style & Philosophy
She combines a scientific background with a gift for translating stories and travel memories into scent. Her years collecting stories as a touring fiddle player carry through into her perfumery, weaving fragments of place and memory together.
Signature Works
- *Róisín Dubh* for Cloon Keen, winner of the Best New Independent Fragrance award in 2019
- *Eau d'Amsterdam*, an art-perfume project built on headspace analysis of elm tree leaves and branches
Drawing on her Irish roots, she continues to create narrative-driven fragrances for both independent brands and established maisons.
