Creative Island Catalogue 2012 by Design & Crafts Council Ireland

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

CONTENTS

Head of Market Development: Brian McGee Trade Development Manager: Emma McGrath Text: Alanna Gallagher, Journalist Design: CodyDelahunty Product/Portrait Photography: Trevor Hart Portrait Photography: Matthew Thompson Fashion Stylist: Niamh O’Rourke Additional Photography: Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) and Mark Henderson

All prices shown are Irish RRP including VAT and are subject to change. ISBN: 978-1-906691-24-0

Welcome

Creative Island

Telling Stories

POTTERY & CERAMICS

HOME & GIFTS

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

JEWELLERY

Index

108

114

WELCOME

CREATIVE ISLAND

Creative Island is a trade platform that connects Irish and international retailers with quality Irish craft enterprises in a single contemporary and buyer-friendly area.

The 85 Irish craft brands selected for inclusion in Creative Island at Showcase 2012 were chosen for their creativity, craftsmanship and product quality by an independent panel of retail buyers.

This year Creative Island consists of 85 Irish craft makers and designers selected by an independent panel for their creativity, innovation and craftsmanship. All the work in Creative Island has been ‘Imagined Designed and Made in Ireland’ by Irish craftmakers who bring fantastic ideas to life with great energy and passion. The craft sector is a vibrant and important part of the Creative Industries in Ireland and contributes almost €500 million to the Irish economy. Employment in the sector is estimated at over 5,700 people with significant potential for growth. This creativity needs an outlet and we are delighted to see that our retail partners have been committed to driving the commercial agenda for Irish craft by allocating important shelf-space, supporting our marketing activities and sharing the wonderful story of Irish craft with their consumers.

The ‘Year of Craft 2011’ celebrations have delivered growing levels of consumer interest and engagement with Irish craft. The public interaction and participation in craft events throughout the year and resulting craft sales emphasise the desire and appreciation for Irish craft. The Crafts Council of Ireland is dedicated to giving craft makers a voice, to help their remarkable work to be seen, appreciated and bought by consumers in Ireland and overseas. We are committed to growing the sector further and are actively seeking more retailers around the world who are keen to promote Irish craft in their stores in a meaningful way. We look forward to helping you do business in 2012. Laura Magahy Chairman, Crafts Council of Ireland Karen Hennessy Chief Executive, Crafts Council of Ireland.

Craft is a growing market as consumers respond to the product quality, unique design and maker stories in artisan products. Over the past two years Creative Island has grown from 55 to 85 stands at Showcase. In 2010 the combined revenues of these companies was €18M and collectively they employ over 250 people in Ireland. Creative Island exhibitors are business-minded with 80% of the companies in the group exporting. All are wholesaling.

Telling Stories

Authenticity is increasingly important to consumers who have become more selective in their purchasing in recent years. Communicating The Story of Craft to Generate Sales 6

While people may be buying fewer items, there is clear evidence that they are buying better, and are more concerned about product traceability, credibility and quality. Therefore, the story about where a product has come from, how it was made and what materials have been used in its creation is more and more important, and communicating the story to consumers is crucial to the selling process. These stories about the product can and should delight and surprise the buyer. British designer and creative director Ilse Crawford explains the trend saying; “In today’s market, the things that take time, from food to craft, all have a new value. It’s about the story and its integrity.” Consumers buy brands. The core brand values of Irish craft are summarised in the logo 'Imagined Designed Made in Ireland'. This is Irish craft’s unique selling proposition and its point of difference. Consumers who buy from these makers are accessing the authenticity and traceability that they desire.

The 85 Irish craft brands in Creative Island at Showcase 2012 demonstrate that sense of special. Each one was hand picked by an independent panel of retail buyers for their creativity, craftsmanship and product quality. All of their work has been imagined, designed and made in Ireland. What they make offers a touchstone to our past as well as a vision for our future. The fact that their products are made in a sustainable fashion is something that makes a difference for many consumers.

Effective Merchandising is the Key

Using branded point of sale materials, grouping makers together under the ‘Imagined Designed Made’ banner to create a strong visual impact and training staff on the attributes of craft are all key to generating strong sales growth in this category. Craft enterprises are by their nature relatively small in terms of product volumes - this is part of their beauty, but operating individually their impact can get lost in-store. Merchandising several makers together under the banner ‘Imagined Designed Made in Ireland’ gives weight and visibility. In addition, using individual maker’s portraits and profiles makes the person behind the craft real to the consumer. Craft is also usually purchased as a gift so grouping products by price point using ‘Great Gifts under €20’ is very helpful to the gift purchaser.

Staff knowledge and training is also essential to success. The sales team have to be able to give consumers a real sense of the authenticity behind each brand to demonstrate value. Selling Irish craft brands requires knowledge of the craft, who the maker is and what materials they use and why. This information is available in this catalogue and on each maker’s website. One of the most successful and effective methods for communicating craftsmanship is to have in-store demonstrations at peak times. Consumers are amazed to see products being made and usually respond by purchasing. Craft makers can also personalise gifts in store making them more special.

Communication and merchandising in-store is essential to deliver sales. Retailers need to participate in building the core brand message - telling the stories and introducing the personalities that make Irish craft unique.

Point of sale material at House of Fraser Dundrum

Knowledge is power. Media are always looking for strong human-interest stories because consumers are fascinated to learn about the people behind the products that they buy.

Jewellery Exhibition at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, December 2011

Advertising & Public Relations 10

The Crafts Council of Ireland has designed and commissioned advertising for the brand in Irish media and international trade publications to help tell these stories. We are always interested in partnering with retailers who wish to communicate this message. Portraits of makers are available to retail partners for local PR activities, along with biographies and product images. These tools help turn the page and engage the media in the story of the maker â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what they did before, where they are from and what is unique about them.

The Ceramicists and Designer Makers campaigns during 2011.

Research conducted by Millward Brown Lansdowne in 2011 has shown that 85% of women believe that craft makes a perfect gift. This is important in understanding how you sell the products.

The Art of Giving 12

Our dedicated website www.giveirishcraft.com connects consumers, craft makers and approved stockists in order to take full advantage of all selling opportunities. The site has grown to include 120 makers, 120 retailers and over 400 products. Each brand page is connected directly to each stockist’s website in order to maximise its position within Google. Traffic to the website continues to increase monthly with repeat visits and active engagement as a result of our online and offline marketing activities. Social media is also very powerful when selling craft. Retailers should be visible on Facebook and Twitter and are encouraged to connect with the Crafts Council of Ireland’s feeds in order to meet and access consumers.

Brian McGee Head of Market Development at the Crafts Council of Ireland

Opposite: Insert for December 2011 issue of The Gloss Magazine

Ceramics embraces many styles from the rough hewn to the high-tech. The techniques used are centuries old yet contemporary talent brings a new dynamic to its design. Our ceramicists demonstrate beauty, excellence and innovation through their craft.

EMER O’SULLIVAN CERAMICS

RACHEL QUINN CERAMICS

P29

P30

LYNDA GAULT CERAMICS

P22

JULIAN SMITH CERAMICS

P31

LIVING GINGER DESIGNS

NICHOLAS MOSSE POTTERY

DIEM CERAMICS

P23

P26

P20

TOUCH DESIGN CERAMICS

P32

COLM DE RÍS IRISH POTTERY

P19

JENNY KELLY POTTERY

BUSY BEE CERAMICS

P24

P16

PAUL MALONEY POTTERY

AMANDA MURPHY CERAMICS

p25

P28

POTTERY & CERAMICS

TOM CALLERY CERAMICS

p 17

LOUIS MULCAHY POTTERY

CASTLE ARCH POTTERY

FORMS OF LIFE

P27

P18

P21

BUSY BEE CERAMICS

TOM CALLERY CERAMICS

1. Porcelain Framed Tile €110

2. Raku Harepod €70

POTTERY & CERAMICS

17 1.

1. Bread ‘n’ Butter Jug 1.

€15

2. Bread ‘n’ Butter Jug & Teapot €15 / €35

“I paint each piece by hand using lush-coloured glazes that I make myself. When fired the glazes do this quirky thing so I never really know what is going to come out of the kiln.”

Brenda McGinn

Busy Bee Ceramics Co. Dublin

busybeeceramics.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Each Busy Bee Ceramics piece tells a story. Potter Brenda McGinn spent a decade living in Killarney where the red deer of the National Park inspired her work. Her deer vases capture the strength and power of the red stags. Having returned to the “stony grey soil” of her native Co. Monaghan, McGinn is now looking to the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh and the region’s drumlins to inspire her new work and help create relief and texture in it. Each piece is made by hand, either on a potter’s wheel or using a rolling pin. It is then left to dry for 24 hours before Brenda sculpts into it to form an image.

“The recent building of a new studio and kiln facility has enabled this move towards more gallery-orientated, one-off sculptural pieces. I’m quite involved in the landscapes, in a sense I paint Irish landscapes using a pot as a canvas.”

Tom Callery is one half of the husband and wife team who run Breeogue Pottery, the established Co. Sligo-based studio that he set up with Gráinne MacLoughlin. This year the potter who trained at Sligo Institute of Technology as a fine art painter is showing on his own. He is experimenting with the transition from high-end production to one-off pieces. Some of the larger pieces measure four foot by five foot in size, and while still suited to the home environment offer a fine art approach to pottery.

Tom Callery

Callery Ceramics Co. Sligo

calleryceramics.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

CASTLE ARCH POTTERY

COLM DE RÍS IRISH POTTERY

POTTERY & CERAMICS

19 Solstice Flow Bowl €120

Dots ‘n’ Spots Bowl €25

Large Jug €25

“Our unique selling point is the lush colour of our glazes, which are all our own recipes.”

Ray Power

Castle Arch Pottery Co. Kilkenny

castlearchpottery.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

It is the aim of Castle Arch Pottery to make bold honest pieces that will stand out and enhance any domestic setting be it formal or decorative. Each piece is made in small production batches on the potter’s wheel, allowing great attention to be paid to decorative details. Corkman Ray Power studied ceramic design at Crawford College in Cork. He’s been producing Castle Arch tableware and giftware at the Castle Yard in Kilkenny since 1994. Ray Power draws inspiration from Celtic patterns such as the Newgrange spirals and traditional motifs and prints.

“The pieces, while very organic to look at, have shapes that feel flamboyant.”

Colm de Rís’ signature pottery features a high lustre reflective blue glaze shot with splashes of copper. His pots, which are all hand-thrown or hand-built, come in strong colours with sweeping shapes and have a neo-Celtic feel. They are fired in a gas-fired kiln in a heavy reduction flame and are dishwasher and microwave proof. Everything is made in Dublin. De Rís has been a potter since he was a child, studying the technique at school before attending NCAD and Thomastown’s one year pottery skills course. He spent a year with Bob Hollis and Emma Almeria of Iveragh Ceramics in Kerry.

Colm de Rís

Colm de Rís Irish Pottery Co. Dublin

colmderis.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

DIEM CERAMICS

FORMS OF LIFE

POTTERY & CERAMICS

1. Medium Jug

1. Central

2. Wavy Two Square Dish

2. Orbit of Negative Space

€44 €38

“There’s been a slight move back towards things that have a practical value, items that are synonymous with building a home yet aesthetically pleasing.”

Thomas Diem

Diem Ceramics Co. Meath

diempottery.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Second generation potter Thomas Diem’s studio in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, is where he creates a functional domestic range using clean lines and decorative flourishes of colour. Everything he creates is handmade yet meshes functionality with design consciousness. Recently, he introduced a new collection of mugs and jugs with vibrant swathes of lime green colour that suit the needs of the times. “My clean fine line style will remain but we’ve added a tactility that evokes the warm feeling of something functional and solid rather than disposable and frivolous.”

€2,300

€1,900

Having set up the Forms of Life studio making press-moulded work for almost 20 years, Raymond is returning to his sculptural roots.

A painter and sculptor, Raymond Kinghan works in ceramics. In a brave move he’s moving his business back to completely handmade pieces. For now he is leaving behind the figurative work of his Forms of Life studio. The new ceramic work is more abstract and symbolic.

Raymond Kinghan

Forms of Life Co. Dublin

formsoflife.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

LYNDA GAULT CERAMICS

LIVING GINGER DESIGNS

POTTERY & CERAMICS

1. 1. Small Thin Flora Vessels In Feather and Meadow Flower €32

2. Large Smocked Wave Vessel €75

1. Stoneware Salt & Pepper Pot €30

2. Stoneware Candlestick €60

“I really love the medium. I fell for clay. I work back to front. I develop the glazes first. Chemistry is what I’m looking for; what colours work together and which textures go with what.”

Lynda Gault

Lynda Gault Ceramics Co. Sligo

lyndagaultceramics.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Potter Lynda Gault has been working with clay for 12 years. In 2007 she opened her own pottery studio in her native Sligo. “I have built up a couple of tableware ranges but am most noted for my drunk pots in white crackle. A range of monogrammed mugs designed for kids is also selling very well. They’re affordable with great packaging. The sea is very much part of what I do. I have tried incorporating shells into the work and while they offer a nice hue there is no consistency to how they react. All my designs are handmade in my Sligo town studio.”

Louise’s designs feel delicate and look high-end. They are made in neutral tones reminiscent of the big sky country that surrounds her studio in Oughterard.

Louise Browne is a second-generation potter who works in slab-built, three-dimensional contemporary porcelain. Her mother was a potter based in Co. Clare who set up Living Ginger Designs, inspired by a quote from Yeats. Louise continues to use the family name. West of Ireland beaches, particularly those in Co. Clare, inspired her Wave vessels. They are fashioned in the manner of the ripples left in the sand as the tide retreats. Her smocked work is one of her signatures and she recently added new boxes to her collection. These are designed to fit inside each other like Russian nesting dolls.

Louise Browne

Living Ginger Designs Co. Galway

livinggingerdesigns.etsy.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

JENNY KELLY POTTERY

PAUL MALONEY POTTERY

POTTERY & CERAMICS

25 1. Skinny Mugs €13

1. Medium Straight Jug 1.

€38

2. Espresso Cup and Saucer

2. Mini Salt Pig 1.

€20

Jenny’s pottery is practical and for everyday use yet feels special and affordable.

Jenny Kelly

Jenny Kelly Pottery Co. Wicklow

jennykellypottery.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Jenny Kelly was introduced to the potter’s wheel when she was still a child. She followed her schooling with an apprenticeship with potter Brian Keogh and honed her craft working at Badger Hill Pottery in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. She also worked under Dublin-based potter Colm de Rís before setting up on her own. She loves colour, evoking her native Wicklow landscape in much of her tableware and giftware collections.

€23

Olive Dish €24

“As a potter I’m only happy when handling clay. Everything is handmade here in Wexford by me and my team of three other potters.”

Paul Maloney’s pottery in Barntown, Co. Wexford is made using traditional hand methods. “I like to make things,” explains potter Paul Maloney who studied art and design education before qualifying as an art teacher. But the lure of clay proved irresistible. “There’s the Ocean tableware range, a contemporary black and white collection range with a signature deep blue glaze running through the pieces that reminds you of the sea. I’ve added new items to the collection such as double olive dishes servers and candleware.”

Paul Maloney

Paul Maloney Pottery Co. Wexford

paulmaloneypottery.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

NICHOLAS MOSSE POTTERY

LOUIS MULCAHY POTTERY

POTTERY & CERAMICS

27 1. Cheese Bell

Pasta bowls

€89.95

€36.55

Tall Straight Vase €59

2. Cake Stand €49.95

Casserole Dish

€89.95

“The Irish countryside inspires and supports me. Even the passing river is harnessed to fire our pottery. The old mill, where all the pots are made, supplies all the electrical requirements for the production and shop with our own hydro electricity.” Nicholas Mosse

Nicholas Mosse Pottery Co. Kilkenny

nicholasmosse.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Nicholas Mosse established Nicholas Mosse Pottery in 1976 after training in England and Japan. His mission was to produce beautiful, functional pottery in the style of Irish spongeware – the traditional pottery of Ireland used in the 18th Century. The pottery is both practical and beautiful, utilising clean, simple shapes and intricate hand sponged patterns. Mosse’s sponge decorated patterns are applied by hand directly onto his own locally made clay. The wide range of natural forms and repetitive shapes are designed by his wife, Susan, cut on site and applied by local in-house trained workers.

His work is utterly modern and distinctively Irish, reflecting the magnificent scale and dramatic colours of his Dingle landscape.

Louis Mulcahy’s dream was to produce superb pottery and to develop a studio which would leave an indelible print on the long term history of Irish handcraft. In this aspiration he has certainly succeeded and in 2004 he became the first Irish craftsman ever to receive an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland in recognition of his artistry and the prosperity it has brought to his community. All Louis’ work is produced at his studio in Dingle, where he continues to research materials and experiment with new designs.

Louis Mulcahy

Louis Mulcahy Pottery Co. Kerry

louismulcahy.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

AMANDA MURPHY CERAMICS

EMER O’SULLIVAN CERAMICS

POTTERY & CERAMICS

1. Small and Large Wave Dishes

1. Milk Jug

2. Small Ripple Nighlights

2. Cheese Dome

€40 / €75 €23

Inspired in the main by the landscape and the movement offered by views from above, the rippled bowls and jagged edge platters evoke the mountains and other undulations in the land.

Amanda Murphy Leel

Amanda Murphy Ceramics Co. Waterford

amandamurphyceramics.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Ceramicist Amanda Murphy Leel makes decorative hand-built stoneware ceramics including vases, platters and bowls. Each piece is inspired by movement within the landscape. Using oxides and coloured glass to punctuate the pieces, the creations offer what the potter calls a bird’s eye view of the landscape. It looks like the highs and lows of an Ordinance Survey map. Using a blue-white crystalline glaze the platters are pieces that can sit atop a table or hang on the wall. The way the glaze and glass melt during firing is different each time, making each piece unique.

€36

€120

Inspired by her grandmother’s kitchen, she has created a collection of functional ware inscribed with drawings of cups and spoons and impressed with old pieces of lace.

Emer O’Sullivan makes modern functional, flat-built ceramics. She studied contemporary crafts at Manchester Metropolitan University before returning home to her native Donegal to set up on her own. Her work has a feminine feel and appeals to women of all ages, says O’Sullivan. From her entry level butter dishes and bowls to her signature framed tiles, her pieces offer a feminine sense of style. Her pitchers and country-style jugs often make wedding list requests and fulfill a function as well as being decorative.

EMER O’SULLIVAN

Emer O’Sullivan Ceramics Co. Donegal

emerosullivanceramics.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

RACHEL QUINN CERAMICS

JULIAN SMITH CERAMICS

POTTERY & CERAMICS

1. Grasslands 1.

€35

2. Grasslands

White Crackle Raku Pot

€60

“Living in a rural setting in the North West of Ireland it is impossible to deny one’s relationship with nature, the paths travelled by the ancient and ongoing cycle of past, present and future.”

RACHEL QUINN

Rachel Quinn Ceramics Co. Sligo

rachelquinnceramics.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Rachel Quinn Ceramics creates handmade, rakufired, figurative pieces based on Celtic mythology. Her designs are hand-glazed using a paintbrush and have metallic accents. The raku process ensures each piece is randomly different. Her studio is set in the shade of the Ox Mountains and looks out onto the cairn of Queen Maeve atop Cnoc na Rí, where she is said to be buried.

€25

Julian Smith’s raku work takes ceramics into the realms of wall art and sculpture.

Originally from Scotland, Kinsale based artist Julian Smith has created a new range of imagery that hang on walls on raku-fired tiles. He is very interested in Celtic design, especially masks and has used motifs in these to inspire his work. The female form also inspires many of his pieces. These are larger, natural and figurative works that are glazed in coppers and other metallic colours for a high-shine contrast.

JULIAN SMITH

Julian Smith Ceramics Co. Cork

juliansmithceramics.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

TOUCH DESIGN CERAMICS

POTTERY & CERAMICS

“The Wave Collection” €80 / €28

It looks very fine but is also very durable, Radek explains. They are designed for everyday use.

Radek Zemlica

Touch Design Ceramics Co. Dublin

touchdesignceramics.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Czech-born Radek Zemlicka of Touch Design Ceramics is a second-generation potter. He describes his mother’s work as being decorative. In contrast to his mother’s ornate style his pottery is much more utilitarian. He makes functional porcelain ware, from tea pots to jugs and vases. He has spent 16 years honing the perfect pouring spout. The porcelain is fired at 1,300 degrees Celsius. This gives it its gorgeous translucency. He believes porcelain should be functional, not relegated to a display shelf to gather dust. As a result all his products are dishwasher and microwave proof.

THE HANDMADE SOAP COMPANY

LITTLE RED WOODWORKS

P41

P51

HOME & GIFTS

THE IRISH HANDMADE GLASS COMPANY

P43

CERAMIC ART AND SCULPTURE

P39

KERRY CRAFTED GLASS

THE WILD GOOSE STUDIO

P48

P57

PADDY MCCORMACK

KLICKITY

ANNABEL LANGRISH

P52

P49

P50

35 BUNBURY BOARDS

BOG STANDARD

P37

P36

IRISH LINEN HOUSE

P44

THE LIVES OF BIRDS

MOTH TO A FLAME

P47

P53

HENNESSY & BYRNE

EDWARD COOK

JENNIFER SLATTERY TEXTILES

SIMPLY SPECIAL

P42

P40

P56

P55

JERPOINT GLASS STUDIO

CELTIC ROOTS STUDIO

P46

P38

ISLAND TURF CRAFTS

ANNA NIELSEN PRINTS

P45

P54

Your home is as individual as you are. Add singularity to your space with indigenous accents that are contemporary but mime traditions that are centuries old. All are hand-crafted using local skills and materials. Each design is a living piece of art, made to be used and adored.

BOG STANDARD

BUNBURY BOARDS

HOME & GIFTS

1. 150g Soap €6.95

2. Small Irish Clover Candle and Scented Sachets

Large carving board with removable stainless steel spike carving plate

€7.95 / €3.95

The giftware offers something that is fresh and modern. It gives tourists a new representation of Ireland to bring home and offers locals something homegrown to enjoy in their abodes.

Alix Mulholland

Bog Standard Co. Down

bogstandard.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Alix Mulholland studied business at university and while there wrote the business plan for Bog Standard, her fragranced giftware that includes scented candles, scented drawer sachets and room fragrances. She recently added car fragrances to her product mix. They offer a little bit of luxury for everyday use, she explains. Irish linen continues to be her number one selling fragrance.

€159

“Bunbury Boards is my attempt to save Lisnavagh, our beautiful old estate, and return the estate to being the community employer it once was.”

The boards are part of the Lisnavagh Collection and re-use timber that falls on the estate to make high quality chopping boards for restaurant and home use. Furniture makers and craftspeople turn the 17 species of Irish wood found in the grounds of the Co. Carlow estate into sustainable and fully traceable designs, adds designer Dina Nolan who picks up William’s thread. “Each finished board comes with a note of its provenance, details of where the tree was on the estate and when it fell.” The company goes to great lengths to establish its exact whereabouts on the estate.

William Bunbury & Dina Nolan

Bunbury Boards Co. Carlow

bunburyboards.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

CELTIC ROOTS STUDIO

CERAMIC ART & SCULPTURE

HOME & GIFTS

1. Wishes 1.

€220 (each)

2. Links

Small Lady With Bag

€350

Established in 1991 Celtic Roots Studio creates studio bog oak sculpture using wood discovered in the midland bogs by peat company Bord na Móna. The oak used is over 5,000 years old.

HELEN CONNEELY

Celtic Roots Studio Co. Westmeath

celtic-roots.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Former civil engineer turned craft worker, Helen Conneely uses bog oak and yew to create sculptural pieces that are sculpted into trophies and gifts. “We also carve quite a lot of birds,” says Helen. Human forms, nature, especially the sea and Celtic heritage form the inspiration for the designs. “It is a sustainable business in that it recycles the wood discovered in the bogs.” Celtic Roots Studio has also been commissioned to design large scale sculptural pieces. Their most recognisable sculpture stands outside the departures area of Terminal One at Dublin Airport.

€125

Made by hand from clay and glazed after firing, the figures are inspired by fashion and nature. They are purely decorative pieces.

Based in Stradbally, Co. Laois, Polish-born Edyta Szymanska makes ceramic sculptures based on the human form. Working mainly with clay the sculptress creates small figurative pieces and large scale public art. Her work is concerned with the human figure – mostly females – interpreted through colour and accessorised with bags and flowers. The wildly hueful designs range from 40 cm in height to large art installations measuring two metres tall. The Food Gallery on Dublin’s Thomas Street has one such installation by Edyta in their restaurant.

Edyta Szymanska

Ceramic Art & Sculpture Co. Laois

www.artsculpture.eu

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

EDWARD COOK

THE HANDMADE SOAP COMPANY

HOME & GIFTS

1. A Squeaky Clean Pamper Kit €59.99

Christmas Pamper Kit €29.99

2. Body Butter €2.95

Moisturising Cream €24.95

1. Sterling Silver Ring Pull Bracelet €185

2. The Tube Ring – Stone set 18ct yellow gold

Shower Gel 2.

€2,250

Edward Cook

waylandsforge.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Lip Balm

€4.50

His silversmith style celebrates the hammer marks that demonstrate their hand-crafted origins. It is something that is lacking in massproduced silverware.

36b The Square Skerries, Co. Dublin

€6.95

Wayland’s Forge is a silversmith and jewellery workshop that makes quirky pieces. “Everything is slightly eclectic”, explains maker Edward Cook. He works in silver because the metal has great malleability. “You can shape and move it”, he continues. “As a metal it is very strong but there is also a softness to it. When you’re working with it, it goes from white to black - only when it is finely polished do you really see the design”. In jewellery Cook uses iconic images that have disappeared from everyday life; bread tags that have been replaced by tape and ring pulls from soft drinks cans.

“People want to know the provenance of everything from food to household products. They have changed the way that they buy. They want to shop local and support Irishmade goods.”

The Handmade Soap Company is a recession start-up success story. While on holiday in Australia founder Donagh Quigley came across the best bar of soap he had ever encountered. It was handmade and prompted him on a quest to find out more. A trip to America and a chance meeting with the soap queen Marla Bosworth introduced him to the world of handmade soap. His soaps include old-fashioned staples like shaving and carbolic soaps and use local ingredients where possible. Their honey, ginger, lemon and oat meal recipe uses Odlums’ oatmeal.

Donagh Quigley

The Handmade Soap Company Co. Meath

thehandmadesoapcompany.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

HENNESSY & BYRNE

THE IRISH HANDMADE GLASS COMPANY

1. Handcrafted Connemara Marble Cheese Board and Knife Set €110

2. Selection of Stainless Steel Cutlery Items with Handcrafted Connemara Marble Handles €24 – €50

HOME & GIFTS

Red Daisy Collection €119.95 / €89.95 /€29.95

Working with stone can reveal a slice of history. As he polishes the local stone Eric often uncovers fossils, part of the material’s natural beauty.

ERIC BYRNE

Hennessey & Byrne Co. Meath

hennessyandbyrne.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Eric Byrne is a second generation stone mason. He learned his craft at his father’s side working with stone, carving it into usable items such as fireplaces and headstones from when he was a boy. His summer holidays were spent polishing stone. Byrne now works with indigenous stone to make it into usable items for the home. His designs include clocks, candlesticks, tea light holders, cheeseboards and cheese knives, and napkin rings. His Kilkenny napkin clips, a more modern reworking of the traditional holder, use an intense diamond polishing process.

The company combines cut with colour. They use new cuts and contemporary designs to create affordable giftware that is handmade on their premises in Waterford City’s historic Viking Quarter.

The Irish Handmade Glass Company specialises in coloured cut and blown glass. The company was founded by former-Waterford Crystal workers and brings together the talents of four craftsmen; three master blowers and a master glass cutter. Together they have 130 years of experience in the medium.

The Irish Handmade Glass Company Co. Waterford

theirishhandmade glasscompany.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

IRISH LINEN HOUSE

ISLAND TURF CRAFTS

HOME & GIFTS

1. Embroidered Linen Napkins

1. Celtic Trinket Box

2. Embroidered Linen Tablerunner

2. Bardic Harp on Base

€15.50

€99.95

“It’s the quality of the product that appeals. And the fact that they’re machine washable and come up crisp when you iron them while still damp.”

Greg Whelan

Irish Linen House Co. Dublin

irishlinenhouse.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Irish Linen House creator Greg Whelan spent twenty years working as a designer in the fashion industry and it shows. His designs make a strong fashion statement for tableware. The designs set the scene for a modern entertainment mood, he explains. “It is a whole new look for Irish linen. Forget all you know about embroidery and its associations with Irish dancing costumes and instead think about creating a sumptuous and special dining table.” He designs and embroiders table runners, napkins and place mats in 100 per cent Irish linen saying: “It is ornate yet elegant.”

€19.95

€24.95

“The deeper you go into the earth the blacker the turf is in terms of colour and patina”

Coalisland based Island Turf Crafts uses 5,000 year old Irish turf, sustainably sourced from some of Ireland’s oldest boglands to create ornaments, clocks, Celtic crosses, picture frames, paperweights, jewellery and other souvenirs. The unique antique brown finish highlights every detail of the delicate ancient Celtic designs and Celtic mythology forms a core part of this giftware. Owner Brian McGirr was inspired by his surrounding environment and began experimenting with the material. Wet bog is fused using glue to create different shapes.

Brian McGirr

Island Turf Crafts Co. Tyrone

www.islandturfcrafts.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

JERPOINT GLASS STUDIO

THE LIVES OF BIRDS

1. Large Poppy Platter €350

2. Festival Square Vases €46.50 – €57.50

HOME & GIFTS

1. “The Girls” Limited Edition Framed Prints €60

2. Occasional Greeting Cards

€3

“For the family and their team of skilled craftsmen it’s as hands-on as you can get. Our colour palettes reflect the surrounding countryside. Seascape blues and cranberry reds are selling well.”

RORY Leadbetter

Jerpoint Glass Studio Co. Kilkenny

jerpointglass.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Jerpoint Glass is a family business that has been making glass in Kilkenny for 30 years. Each piece is completely hand-blown in the same fashion as it was 200 years ago using simple hand tools and 200 year old methods. As one of the last remaining establishments making glass in Ireland, they offer gallery style pieces as well as a range of tableware. The latter functional designs are the main core of the business. The shapes are very classical yet fit into modern environments.

Each composition is a combination of colourful paint techniques and texture created by machine and hand stitching.

Textile maker Lynn Kenny of The Lives of Birds is invigorated by colour and illustration. Through her abstract work she creates pattern using surface stitching and embroidery. In her figurative work she humanises animals to create objects that are whimsical, playful and fun - work that gets a smile from viewers.

LYNN KENNY

The Lives Of Birds Co. Clare

lynnkenny.com

CRAFTS CRAFTSCOUNCIL COUNCIL OF OF IRELAND IRELAND

KERRY CRAFTED GLASS

HOME & GIFTS

KLICKITY

1. Autumn Coloured Centrepiece

1. Fanfare Clock

2. Glass Oval Style Plate

2. Klip Modular NoticeBoard (Pack of 3)

€68 €68

“We’re situated in a very rural part of Co. Kerry where we’re surrounded by bog. To celebrate our surroundings we’re introducing a bog heather coloured glass, a purple colour to join the others.”

Terrence McSweeney

Kerry Crafted Glass Co. Kerry

irishkerryglass.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Terrence McSweeney founded Kerry Crafted Glass in 1997 with 18 years of experience in hand-blown glass already under his belt. The company is renowned for its beautiful use of colour and high quality finish. Kerry Crafted Glass uses 100% recycled materials to create coloured decorative glassware. McSweeney and his team collect glass from the region’s pubs and hotels, wash and reprocess it to make into something new; be it a lamp, a paperweight, a vase, candlesticks, tea light holders, a pot pourri bowl or a water jug.

€55

€15

“My designs are flat-pack”, explains designer Kate Cronin. “It is origami-based, and has its origins in my package designing past. They all clip together or fold out.”

Klickity is a contemporary product design company that creates interiors and giftware that deliberately targets the mass market. Designer Kate Cronin set up the company when she came home from England where she worked as a packaging designer, specialising in mobile phone packaging. She created ideas for Motorola, Vodaphoneand O2. “My designs are flat-pack”, she explains. “They all clip together or fold out. It is origami-based, and has its origins in my package designing past. I have brought a lot of that thinking to the company.”

EliZabeth Fingleton & Kate Cronin

Klickity Co. Dublin

klickity.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

ANNABEL LANGRISH

LITTLE RED WOODWORKS

HOME & GIFTS

51 Karn

€3,500

1. Piglet €172

2. Harebells

€172

Her designs capture the essence of Irish wildlife. She favours pigs and hares as well as ducklings, piglets, cygnets and leverets that suit children’s bedrooms.

ANNABEL LANGRISH

Co. Cork

herongallery.net

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Annabel Langrish is an artist and a gallery owner. Her work depicts native Irish wildlife and has a timeless feel. She paints, prints and makes 3D raku sculptures. She paints in the spring and creates a new bank of imagery every year. Her prints look like etchings because of the technique she uses and their presentation on textured handmade paper. Annable likes to draw animals. The animals illustrated have character, says Annabel, they are cute without being sentimental. Most of her work is framed.

“I believe passionately in what I do and invest every bit of myself in my ideas. The carving is very labour intensive but it is a labour of love. The work has heart and soul – even if it has a wooden heart. It brings meaning to the end result.” Furniture designer Richard Heffernan learned everything he knows about wood while making bespoke furniture. He got his break when one of his shelves featured in the background of a television programme and the production company was inundated with requests to buy the shelves. In the last 12 months he moved into wood work creating sculptural, high-end pieces from modern exotic woods such as maple and cocobolo. The pieces are purely decorative, he explains. Each piece is made by hand from sustainably sourced materials in his Malahide studio.

Richard Heffernan

Little Red Woodworks Co. Dublin

littleredwoodworks.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

PADDY MCCORMACK

MOTH TO A FLAME

HOME & GIFTS

The Fold Candle Holder

1. Rock Candles

€50

€6.99 – €32.99

2. Glow Globe

€20 – €35

“I use a layering technique rather than big thick pieces of metal so the effect is very delicate but the piece retains its strength. There are no hard lines and each design has a natural finish.”

Paddy McCormack

Co. Cork

paddymccormack.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Working with copper, iron and bronze, Paddy McCormack creates a contemporary range of lamps, candlesticks, vases and bowls. His free-flowing forms are handcrafted from scratch in his Skibbereen studio. He uses techniques both learnt and self-taught. Upon completion of his degree in the London College of Furniture where he had studied the making of musical instruments, he emigrated to New Zealand. “My roots are in wood but there wasn’t a great market for handmade musical instruments in New Zealand. I had a friend who did metalwork and I felt it was more my thing than wood.”

“I don’t use any additives and control the cooking of the wax so the process is slowed down. In the same way that the slow food movement enhances the flavour of the food, slow-made candles offer a particular softness and richness of colour and they glow more intensely.” “Candles create mood and atmosphere. I still get great pleasure from the physical act of making candles,” says Moth to a Flame candle maker Larry Kinsella who still oversees every handmade candle in his Bennettsbridge studio. Originally from Co. Wexford, Larry studied food business and worked in the food industry for several years but it was time spent managing a large candle factory that introduced him to chandlery. With an interest and flair for craft and design he developed and made a range of candles from the garage of his Kilkenny home.

Larry Kinsella

Moth To A Flame Co. Kilkenny

mothtoaflame.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

ANNA NIELSEN PRINTS

SIMPLY SPECIAL

“Wedding Bells” 1/750 signed Limited Edition Print Framed €59.95

Tube

€28.95

Large Tube €49.95

HOME & GIFTS

1. Range of Handmade Cards €4.95

2. Range of Handmade Cards

€4.95

“What I draw is life. My craft is first and foremost illustrative story-telling, inspired by my family. These are black and white pen and ink drawings with words attached. Each original print is drawn by hand and takes about six weeks to complete.” Anna Nielsen

Anna Nielsen Prints Co. Wicklow

annanielsen.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

“I draw bodies and look to sport for my inspiration. Follow Your Dream is one of the bestsellers in my ‘Silhouette People’ collection. It seems to capture the national mood at the moment. Chain of Life is another. That’s my signature style. I print the editions myself on my husband’s printer that he uses for his architectural drawings.” Born in Lima, Peru to Danish parents, Anna Nielsen grew up in Denmark and also in Ireland. She started a small craft company in November 1994, making a range of prints and cards from her drawings.

“Consumers want something that is handmade in Ireland. Retailers like their simplicity. People are putting more money into cards these days. It’s a card with a small gift rather than the reverse.”

Former bank worker Shirley Hunter’s Simply Special handmade cards make use of white space featuring die cut designs on white card. This is a company that has a craft back end but is design led and fashion forward. Customers like the simplicity of the message and the motif. It resonates with their wanting something that is handmade in Ireland. These cards are bought by women for women, for every occasion from thinking of you, to birthdays, debs, baby showers, christenings, weddings, pregnancy and so on.

Shirley Hunter

Simply Special Co. Tyrone

simplyspecial4u.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

JENNIFER SLATTERY TEXTILES

THE WILD GOOSE STUDIO

1. Granny’s China (Napkins, Set of Tw0) €32

2. Granny’s China (Tablerunner 220 × 50cm) €140

HOME & GIFTS

1. Framed Piece 1.

€50 – €55

2. Framed Piece €50 – €55

“I love things with character and with flaws. In looking to the past I embrace those flaws. It’s the quirky little things, the things that survive beyond the generations.”

Jennifer Slattery

Jennifer Slattery Textiles Co. Dublin

jenniferslatterytextiles.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Jennifer Slattery’s printed work is inspired by the past, in particular by her grandmother. “I’m not interested in headlines, rather the detail of the story. My work is a celebration of the everyday heirloom.” She lives in her grandmother’s house and is the fourth generation Slattery to live there. This sense of heritage inspires her work. Items that once belonged to her, china and cutlery, for example, forge a connection with the past. It’s a ghostly connection with the past but the uniformity of modern life bores her.

“A very important aspect of the works is that people are drawn to what they say as well as how they look.”

The Wild Goose Studio is a family company producing handmade Celtic crosses, carved words and other symbols cast from pure bronze and iron. Working with stone carvers they create a mould for each design. The designs include Celtic crosses, Celtic myths, nature, sacred themes and symbols of faith. “We’ve kept a spiritual aspect to the business but the designs are not overtly religious,” explains Jamie McCarthy Fisher, son-in-law of co-founders Brian Scott-McCarthy and Kathleen Smyth.

Jamie McCarthy Fisher

The Wild Goose Studio Co. Cork

wildgoosestudio.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

WENDY LOUISE DESIGNS

LISA RYDER DESIGNS

LINDA WILSON KNITWEAR

P82

P72

P71

AÍNE KNITWEAR

CUSHENDALE WOOLLEN MILLS

HANDWOVEN BY LIZ CHRISTY

P60

P63

P67

FASHION & ACCESSORIES LISA SHAWGI

MAD 4 HATS

MCCUL CLOTHING

P73

P74

P77

EDMUND MCNULTY KNITWEAR

P78

BONZIE DESIGNS

EDEL MACBRIDE

P61

P75

EILIS BOYLE

FABULOUS FELT

P62

P65

ANA FAYE

STUDIO DONEGAL

P66

P80

HANNA HATS

WOOLCORE DESIGNS

P68

P83

SUSANNAGH GROGAN DESIGNS

P81

DE BRUIR

HOPE & BENSON

HEATHER FINN KNITWEAR

P64

P70

P69

MCKERNAN SCARVES

RATHLIN KNITWEAR

P76

P79

Handmade offers a slice of couture in a ready-to-wear world. We all want to feel special and nothing makes you feel more exclusive than wearing something unique. These authentic, heirloom pieces are made in Ireland by artisans and look and feel fashion forward.

AÍNE KNITWEAR

BONZIE DESIGNS

€159

Handcrafted Upcycled Lace Tattered Ruffled Skirt

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Handcrafted Black Linen Ruffle Top with Corsage Embellishment

€149

61 1.

1. Soft Grey Wave Patterned Collar €45

Soft Grey Wave Patterned Snood €75

2. Teal Fringed Collar €99

Grey Wool Dress €180

“My signature piece is a scarf collar, a shorter shape that nods towards present trends. It comes in floral or loop options with a fastening technique that can create two and three looks from the one accessory.”

Ann Behan McConnell

Áine Knitwear Co. Clare

aineknitwear.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Fashion designer Anne Behan McConnell uses natural fibers and dyes in her knitwear creations. The former Limerick School of Art and Design student set up her Áine label in 2001 and in the past has sold her designs and swatches to American lifestyle brands including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. The focus of her collections is on crafting handmade accessories using the most natural raw materials she can source. “I source most of my materials from within Ireland, many from Kilcar in Co. Donegal.”

Bonzie Designs is a romantic and theatrical fashion label offering garments that require their wearer to get into character.

Yvonne Crotty set up Bonzie Designs with her aunt, Ger McDonald to make clothes that feel like nothing on the high street. The clothes afford wearers the opportunity to dress outside their usual personality. Heavily embellished corsets are one of their core designs. These are decorated with pearl beading and hanging chains and some are encrusted with diamante and pearls. The duo has recently added a range of mittens and turbans to their collection. Celebrity fans include Courtney Love and Imogen Heath.

YVONNE CROTTY & GER MCDONALD

Bonzie Designs Co. Waterford

bonziedesigns.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

EILIS BOYLE

CUSHENDALE WOOLLEN MILLS 2.

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

1. Chunky Merino Scarf €95

Multi Coloured Chunky Merino Throw €170

2. 100% cashmere Shrug

1. Brushed Mohair & Boucle Mohair Throws

€210

Ombre Silk Chiffon Dress €450

EILIS BOYLE

eilisboyle.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

2. Brushed Mohair & Boucle Mohair Throws €47.50 – €87.50

“The form and material is more important to me than colour and print. There’s a softness and lightness to the design even if it has structure. Composition is key to the comfort level experienced by the wearer.”

Co. Meath

€47.50 – €87.50

“I am a clothes designer”, explains Eilis Boyle. “I do really limited collections. Most of the pieces are one-offs. The process starts with the fabric or the yarn. I work mainly with natural fibres so the wearer gets a garment that is incredibly personal and feels very exclusive.” The feel is very important to the designer. “My creations are quite monochromatic. The form and material is more important to me than colour and print. There’s a softness and lightness to the design even if it has structure. Composition is key to the comfort level experienced by the wearer.”

“Customers to our mill shop want to know the provenance of everything we sell. Skills, heritage and where it’s made are now unique selling points.”

Set on the millrace of the River Duiske, Cushendale Woollen Mills is a mill run by Philip Cushen’s family since 1880. It’s a brand steeped in history. “We dye, card and spin all our own yarn. We also make solid wool blankets and fashion accessories such as pocket stoles, scarves and hats. Because we dye all our own yarns our colours are unique to us”. The red carpets at Áras an Uachtaráin were dyed by Cushendale Woollen Mills. The company has previously worked with fashion designers John Rocha and one-time enfant terrible, French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.

Philip Cushen

Cushendale Woollen Mills Co. Kilkenny

cushendale.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

DE BRUIR

FABULOUS FELT

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

65 1. Leafy Scarf 1. Parachuter Bag 1.

€470

2. Leather iPad Cover €95

“My design and aesthetic comes out of simple constructions. The pieces look simple but their design back-end renders them ultra durable.”

GarvAn de Bruir

De Bruir Co. Kildare

debruir.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Leather worker and bespoke furniture maker Garvan de Bruir uses quality materials that speak for themselves. His leatherwork respects tradition while presenting a very contemporary yet hand-crafted finish. The leather satchels, weekend bags and parachute bags use old-school leather construction but remain rooted in the 21st Century. His hand-crafted small designs, such as his picture frames are fast becoming very coveted by the cognoscenti. These pieces are designed to sit in already established interiors.

€78

2. Felted Flower €19

3. Felted Lace Scarf

€59

Using marino wool Katarzyna Ramsey creates a fabric that is hand felted and hand dyed. This she uses to make modern scarves, wraps, bags and jewellery.

Growing up in Poland, near the Ukraine border, Katarzyna’s family kept and sheared sheep. This has instilled in her a strong attachment to the material. She uses cold, fast dyes. Working in felt takes a lot of time to master, she admits but it is the quality of the natural ingredients that shows through. Her felting started as a hobby. She followed an online tutorial on how to make a felt bag and started selling her designs at a market in Limerick. She claims to have almost stopped cooking anything except new design ideas in her kitchen.

Katarzyna Ramsey

Fabulous Felt Co. Limerick

fabulousfelt.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

ANA FAYE

HANDWOVEN BY LIZ CHRISTY

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

1. Lillia / Olivia Baby Bag

1. Sheep Brooches

2. Leanora Bag

2. Classic Boucle Scraf

€189 €169

“I wanted to set up a designer accessories label that was strictly made in limited numbers, so I could guarantee my customers that they would not see everyone with the same bag.”

Anna Vahey Casey

Ana Faye Co. Sligo

anafaye.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Having worked as a fashion and accessories designer for several years in London, Italy and China, Anna launched her first range of exclusive handmade leather bags under the name Ana Faye in Autumn 2008. The label enjoyed instant recognition, winning the Best Product at Showcase Ireland 2009, along with Best Product in the Fashion, Knitwear and Accessories category. Anna’s innovative creations are outstandingly refined and elegant - using pure clean geometric lines juxtaposed with elegant curves.

€4.95

€95

Liz looks to nature for colour inspiration. Her creations use cotton, wools, angora, mohair and some man-made fibres. Everything is made in her Swallow Studio in Annyalla.

Craftswoman Liz Christy from near Castleblaney in Co. Monaghan is passionate about yarn and a signature fleck made by Donegal yarn in particular. It shows the beauty of real heritage, she explains. “Its randomness is what makes it feel special.” Donegal Yarns is one of the country’s last traditional hand-spun yarns. Her range of hand woven Celtic tweed scarves offer a lustrous tactility while her Bragan bouclé, one style in her designer scarf collections, won the 2009 Essence of Ireland Award for its contemporisation of traditional lace making.

Liz Christy

Handwoven By Liz Christy Co. Monaghan

lizchristy.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

HANNA HATS

HEATHER FINN KNITWEAR

€180

Pink cardi with gold crochet detail 2.

€250

Orange fringe scarf

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Turquoise honeycomb dress

€150

Ladies Bluestack Hat €55

Traditional Vintage Cap €45

Hats helped reboot the piece work cottage industry in Donegal by enlisting former machinists, now at home with young children, to work on contract making hats.

John Hanna

Hanna Hats Co. Donegal

hannahats.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Hanna Hats create timeless tweed caps from the finest of Donegal tweed. Every hat is assembled by hand at their Donegal Town atelier. Using tweed woven exclusively for the hat company their collections of designs help to showcase the varieties available, from herringbone to houndstooth, check to plaid and salt-and-pepper weaves, which are a salient ingredient in their signature patchwork caps, hats and bags. The headwear is a favourite with film stars and singers as well as the man on the street. Actor Brad Pitt and singer Britney Spears are said to sport the brand.

“Everything is created from ethically sourced yarns in my North Strand studio. In terms of textures and tones travel inspires me. I journey to India and Morocco in search of yarns.”

“Pattern and colour are the driving forces behind what I do. I make everything myself. It is very hands-on. I design the pattern cards, knit the pieces, then it’s cut and sewn by me. Then I process the finished garment to make it softer.” Specialising in knitwear, Heather graduated in Fashion from NCAD and honed her craft by working with knitwear designer Lainey Keogh. She also worked as an accessories buyer in Galway for two years. She then launched a stall at Dublin’s Cow’s Lane market and came to the attention of Topshop when they were opening their flagship store on Stephen’s Green in 2006.

Heather Finn

Heather Finn Knitwear Co. Dublin

heatherfinn.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

HOPE & BENSON

LINDA WILSON KNITWEAR

€225

Polka Dot Skirt

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Fair Isle Long Sleeved Top 1.

€170

1. “Vintage Garden” Collection €10 – €13

2. “Vintage Garden” Collection

€10 – €13

“These styles are the anti 'It Bag'. They’re for people who never liked spending a fortune on an item that is ostensibly still mass produced. Our customers prefer something more genuine.”

Angela Hope Hope & Benson Co. Leitrim

hopeandbenson.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Hope & Benson offer a collection of bags; overnight bags, handbags and purses made from heritage Irish tweeds by Magee, Hanly and some Foxford fabrics, Scottish and English tweeds are also used. The designs are embellished with flowers and ribbons, the look is soft but structured and each bag is handmade by Angela Hope and Daniela Benson. Daniela Benson also makes a clothing line. Every bag is hand cut on the premises, constructed using traditional methods and contains a sprinkling of lavender, grown in the Burren, to add a subtle fragrance.

“I create my own fabrics and can turn them into garments that offer individuality but are still wearable.”

Linda Wilson Knitwear offers a range of stylish, handcrafted contemporary knitwear from her studio on Dominic Street in Limerick city. The fluid yet dramatic clothing is fashionable without being formal and is produced in cashmere and wool blends. Linda offers designer ladies garments and accessories, including hats, scarves, bags and arm warmers. Colour and texture are important and are inspired by the Irish rural countryside; for instance the collection for Showcase 2009 was inspired by the honeycomb pattern.

Linda Wilson

Linda Wilson Knitwear Co. Limerick

lindawilsonknitwear.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

LISA RYDER DESIGNS

LISA SHAWGI

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

1. Flock it Scarf 1.

€65 – €98

2. Lisa Marie Scarf

1. Silk and Cashmere Dress 1.

€75 – €150

Lisa’s work is fashion orientated, and includes scarves and bags as well as super smart envelope clutches, laptop and tablet cases.

LISA RYDER Lisa Ryder Designs Co. Mayo

lisaryderdesigns.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Lisa Ryder is a textile designer who followed her studies in GMIT Galway with a MA at Glasgow School of Art. She worked in London and returned to the West of Ireland to sell under her own name. Her print work starts with a line drawing, which she usually overlays with streetscapes either from her time in London and Glasgow or from her extensive travels. This paper work is then transferred to a computer where she further plays with texture, laying different shapes with colour and pattern until she is satisfied with the design.

€348

2. Kim Coat €348

“I see knitwear as a woven fabric to be tailored to create elegant and sophisticated finished pieces. Women in different cultures inspire me. I find how they dress, their attitude and what inspires them most interesting.”

“I spent most of my childhood in Sudan before moving to Dublin in 1995, and I often use the juxtaposition of both cultures as an inspiration for my creations,” explains Lisa Shawgi, a knitwear designer of Irish and EgyptianSudanese extraction. Her inspiration comes from both cultural backgrounds. The result is eye-catching, feminine knitwear where attention to detail is an essential part of the handwriting. After graduating from the National College of Art and Design she developed her technical skills by working for Lainey Keogh and Vera Wang.

Lisa Shawgi

Co. Wicklow

lisashawgi.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

MAD 4 HATS

EDEL MACBRIDE

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

75 1. Stripe Dress 1. Judy Trilby €27

Judy Collar 1.

€26

2. Flapper Hat €60

Some of Patsy’s traditional designs use Donegal yarns. Her more fashion-orientated collections feature feathers, leather and stones.

Patsy Flood O’Connor Mad 4 Hats Co. Wexford

mad4hats.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

A hat will change your whole appearance, says self-taught maker Patsy Flood O’Connor. It gives you a sense of confidence and elegance and if you’re having a bad hair day it will help cover it up, explains the Mad 4 Hats maker. She knits and makes her own felts for her designs. She also has yarns and felts specially dyed for her creations. Colour and texture are important elements of her signature style. She has also designed a hat that will stay on your head in the windiest of weather. These have been wear-tested by Patsy while out walking on the Hook Peninsula.

€190

2. Mailesque Batwing Dress / Tunic Dress €475 Tunic €345

“When you cross pollinate fashion with the skill of craft you get originality, something with my stamp on it – something exciting. Like all stories worth telling it starts with a good yarn.”

Edel MacBride set up her business in 1993 growing her brand into a more production orientated business. The creative process is cyclical so she has returned to her core values – craft fashioned for the stylish. “I’m concentrating on high-end knitting and crochet skills where we have a uniqueness.” “The skills I acquired studying fashion at the graduate programme at LCAD mean my designs remain linked to fashion. Because of my background in pattern cutting and traditional fashion fabric the concepts of form and structure continue to be important.”

Edel MacBride

Co. Donegal

edelmcbride.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

MCKERNAN SCARVES

MCCUL CLOTHING

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Supersoft Fleece Hoody with Multi-Coloured Embroidered Logo €25

1. “Cosmo” Merino Wool Scarf 1.

€78

2. “Bubble” Merino Wool Scarf €58

The purchase of a 1960s knitting machine has allowed McKernan Scarves to create elaborate patterns and different textures.

ANKE & EUGENE MCKERNAN McKernan Scarves Co. Wexford

mckernanscarves.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Eugene and Anke McKernan are a husband and wife team that weave and knit scarves. A scarf lifts the face, enthuses German native Anke. Her designs offer the visage a natural facelift she says, explaining that she has a natural feel for fabric. Anke trained as a weaver in Germany, learning her craft when she and her husband set up a small workshop in a small town called Wunstorf near Hannover. Their business grew as their three children did and they now weave scarves on industrial revolution Hattersley looms.

“These are the stories that I was taught in school and the new generation continues to learn about in the classroom.”

McCul Clothing is a crafted range of garments featuring graphic cartoon characters based on the principal personalities in Irish folklore. Old stories come alive through the imagery. It is heritage you can wear that offers a fashion edge and a history lesson to boot. Derek Young is the brains behind McCul Clothing, the designer kidswear range for little legends. The garments are designed and made in the company’s Finglas factory. Every child who wears a McCul garment will learn about the great Irish myths through the McCul characters on their clothes.

Derek Young

McCul Clothing Co. Dublin

mccul.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

EDMUND MCNULTY KNITWEAR

RATHLIN KNITWEAR

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

79 1.

1. Gents Classic crew sweater in Donegal Tweed €79

Ladies Cotton tunic sweater €89

1. Chunky Knit Red Hoody €245

2. Ladies 3/4 length jacket with handmade ceramic buttons

2. Black Kid-Mohair and Marino Wool Blend €245

“Yarn is such a tactile texture. I work with luxury fibers such as kid mohair, marino wool and alpaca. Knitwear, especially menswear, needs to offer longevity and durability.”

EDMUND MCNULTY Edmund McNulty Knitwear Co. Louth

edmundmcnulty.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

“I wanted to offer men nice jumpers,” says Edmund McNulty who grew up in Creeslough, Co. Donegal surrounded by a matriarchal collective of aunties, grannies and his mother, all knitting in rings round him. “The colour grey – there must be 40 shades to choose from and they all suit Irish complexions – forms a core colour in my collections. This choice is partly inspired by the Irish weather.” This former teacher went back to college to pursue his first love. He attended Galway Institute of Technology where he studied textile design.

€120

Rathlin Knitwear is a progressive craft business based in the Gaeltacht area of southwest Donegal.

The company uses a wide range of new and traditional types of raw material including a signature line in Donegal tweed wool. The wool is hand-loomed into sweaters, scarves and hats. Their tunic style is based on the traditional fisherman’s sweater and features heritage stitching. The sweaters have a very distinctive finish thanks to the tweed wool. It is very popular with local holidaymaker and star of hit TV series Sex and The City, Sarah Jessica Parker; she belts hers at the waist. Many of the garments are hand-finished by home workers in their houses.

Donal Sweeney

Rathlin Knitwear Co. Donegal

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

STUDIO DONEGAL

SUSANNAGH GROGAN DESIGNS

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

81 2.

Butterfly Scarf / Wrap €180

1. Handwoven Tweed Scarf €35

2. Three Button Jacket €259

“We’re not high fashion. We produce small quantities of cloth and already sell successfully to Japan where the customer wants to buy something that’s been made with love, care and attention to detail that is difficult to translate into words.” Tristan Donaghy

Studio Donegal Co. Donegal

studiodonegal.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Studio Donegal is a handweaving and clothing business based on original hand weaving skills passed down from generation to generation. It is situated in the remote mountainous region of South West Donegal. Tristan Donaghy set up Studio Donegal 30 years ago to try and maintain the Donegal tradition of hand weaving. “We’re continuing a craft while making something classical yet contemporary”, he says. “We also sell upholstery fabrics to a couple of designers in Denmark and New York. These can only be handwoven. Additionally we make throws and cushion covers.”

The heavy silk, limited edition scarves have hand-finished edges and each comes with its own telling quote. One includes Oscar Wilde’s “one should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.”

Print and textile designer Susannagh Grogan trained at the Chelsea College of Art. She spent 20 years working in the medium and it shows. Her client list includes Tommy Hilfiger, Peter O’Brien, American department store Macys, lingerie label Victoria’s Secret, fashion label Velvet and home-grown high street chain A-wear. Now based in Dun Laoghaire, she launched her scarf label at the end of 2009. Each design is limited to an edition of 30 and the styles cost from €60 – €150, a fraction of the price you’d pay for something similar from one of the fashion superbrands.

SUSANNAGH GROGAN

Susannagh Grogan Designs Co. Dublin

susannaghgrogan.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

WENDY LOUISE DESIGNS

WOOLCORE DESIGNS

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

1. Navy Pill Box with Ribbon Detail

Laptop / Document Bag

2. Small Green Beanie Hat with Pearl Detail

iPad Bag

€145

€81

€180

“The hats are made individually by me. Most of the fabrics come from milliner suppliers in the UK. I also use vintage trims and ribbons and recycle elements of old beaded necklaces.”

WENDY LOUISE KNIGHT

Wendy Louise Designs Co. Longford

wendylouisedesigns.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Longford-based Wendy Louise Knight is a self-taught milliner with a studio situated outside Newtown Forbes. Hat making is in her genes – her grandparents had a hat factory in Luton in the UK and she rescued a couple of hat blocks from that establishment, which she uses to form some of her creations. In 2004 she took private lessons from Aileen Cogan, who teaches millinery at the Grafton Academy, and started offering a bespoke service to would-be head-dressers.

€31

Woolcore Designs make handcrafted pure wool fashion products as well as designing ranges for the home and for the nursery.

German designer Charlotte Sehmisch from Weimar, the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, brings her modernist sensibilities to the creations. These include Origami-esque wall hangings, outdoor seat pads, laptop and iPad cases, and one of their signature pieces, the sun and moon bags. Woocore Designs also make bed ranges for the hospitality sector. These include quilting and bed covers such as throwovers, fully fitted quilts, bed-end throwovers, valances, wool fleece blankets and protectors, as well as wool and other natural fibre-filled pillows and duvets and a wide selection of cushion styles.

Charlotte Sehmisch

Woolcore Designs Co. Wicklow

woolcore.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

JEWELLERY ALAN ARDIFF

ARTYSMARTY

VICTORIA FOUTZ BIJOUX

P86

P87

P94

FIONA KERR JEWELLERY

DECLAN KILLEN

P98

P99

GARRETT MALLON JEWELLERY

P101

MAUREEN LYNCH JEWELLERY

P100

BY YVONNE

A BOX FOR MY TREASURE

JUVI DESIGNS

Saba Jewellery

NINE DESIGN

P88

P89

P97

P105

P103

HELENA MALONE GOLDSMITH

P102

ELENA BRENNAN

RACHEL SWAN DESIGNS

Filip Vanas

P90

P106

P107

CHRISTINA BROSNAN

BUTTON STUDIO

REACTION JEWELLERY

P91

P92

P104

BREDA HAUGH

P96

FADÓ

MARTINA HAMILTON COLLECTION

P93

P95

Imagined, Designed and Made in Ireland, contemporary handcrafted jewellery is unique. Each precious object has been lovingly crafted using traditional skills that trace back through time, married with modern ideas, techniques or materials that delight and inspire.

ALAN ARDIFF

ARTYSMARTY

JEWELLERY

1. High Flyer Pendant €POA

2. Two For Joy Pendant

1. “Japanese Flower” Earrings 3.

€310

Alan Ardiff

alanardiff.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

2. “Carousel Series” Necklace

€24.95

“Their unique selling point is that they move,” Ardiff explains. “There’s a fun side to wearing these pieces. You get to own something crafted by hand from precious metals and additionally, it moves and brings a smile to your face.”

Co. Dublin

€14.95

The pieces are packaged as mini works of art. “It is art rather than jewellery,” says Ardiff. “It’s about appreciating the concept behind the work, with some customers becoming collectors, buying a piece from each collection when it comes out.” Ardiff’s work has been exhibited extensively in Ireland and internationally and he will be exhibiting an exclusive collection of his work at ‘Collect’ in the V&A, London 2012.

“People are looking for affordable, costume jewellery that is hand-crafted but more international in attitude.”

Born in Tasmania in Australia Angela Cuthill did a BA in Ceramics in Hobart followed by an MA in Arts Administration in Sydney, Australia. She explored ceramics here in Ireland where she has lived on and off for the last 10 years. She designs earrings, hair grips, necklaces in resin and laser-cut wood. Her jewellery; resin necklaces, laser-cut wood brooches and graphic-printed fabric purses and passport-covers have a cult fashion following. Her lasercut, wood badges in particular offer cost-effective his or her gift ideas.

Angela Cuthill

Artysmarty Co. Dublin

artysmartyshop.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

BY YVONNE

A BOX FOR MY TREASURE

JEWELLERY

89 1. Leather Necklace

€150

2. Friendship Bracelet €40

1. Gold Orchid & Violet Quartz Earrings

€35

2. Gold Orchid & Cobalt Blue Chalcedony Necklace

Friendship Earrings 1.

3. Adornment Fan Bag €220

“The crochet necklaces use fresh water pearls and are ideal to dress up a black shift dress while the bow-shaped clutch offers a very modern take on knitting in fashion.”

Yvonne Beale

By Yvonne Co. Dublin

byyvonne.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Yvonne Beale’s designs celebrate an art form that has been hidden for half a century. She uses recrafted stitches primarily used in Irish crochet to create her handcrocheted, jewellery and bags. I’ve been knitting and crocheting since I was a child, she explains. “I’ve reshaped stitches that were used in your granny’s tablecloth or place mats to create pieces that feel fresh and contemporary.” The designer has a love of the style and elegance of the 1940s and 1950s.

€25 €27

The jewellery has a fashion feel and is designed using delicate fine chains. It looks dainty but is durable to wear.

Judith Ritchie, the designer behind A Box For MyTreasure, makes chic, whimsical and affordable handmade jewellery. She is self taught, a hobbyist who set up her business online through Etsy and following the feedback she received from customers, started selling her designs at the now defunct Crafty Market. She makes everyday jewellery that is designed to be loved and worn rather than reserved for special occasion use. She uses sterling silver, 14 k gold fill, real gold laid onto a base metal, and vermeil.

JUDITH RITCHIE

A Box For My Treasure Co. Dublin

aboxformytreasure.etsy.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

ELENA BRENNAN

CHRISTINA BROSNAN

JEWELLERY

91 1. Gossamer Petals & Pearls Bracelet

1. Osseous Neckpiece

Drop Earrings

Osseous Disc Earrings

€330

€125

2. Petal & Pearl Pendant €67

Elena works as a wax modeller, creating intricate three-dimensional pieces that are then cast in precious metal.

Elena BRENNAN

Co. Cavan

elenabrennan.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Art Nouveau and nature are the two things that inspire Elena’s work. But the preciousness of jewellery has intrigued Elena Brennan since she was a little girl when she first started designing pieces to wear. An aunt who had spent time in America had a treasure trove of jewellery that she used to play with. Elena’s pieces are intricate, airy and light, yet in the hand they feel heavy. They are one-off or low production pieces. Her gossamer rings have moved her Celtic mythology into a fashion realm. They look Celtic without being Celtic.

€330 €155

2. Contour Drape (Reversable Necklace)

€365

“You have to ask what is it, how do I wear it. It connects the craftsperson with the wearer and offers a bit of brain teasing.”

Christina Brosnan is a jewellery designer who has been interested in making jewellery since she was nine but first explored the film business as a prop master and then got involved in digital marketing before coming back to her first love. Her collections feature three-dimensional bead weaving techniques. The pieces in this collection are also dual purpose - they can be worn as a necklace or in your hair, for example. This gives them a Transformer type quality and makes them playful pieces, Christina explains.

Christina Brosnan

Co. Dublin

christinabrosnan.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

BUTTON STUDIO

FADÓ

JEWELLERY

93 1. Button Robot

€12

2. Fabric Tablet Pendant €23

New Button Design Barrel Pendant €35

3. Button Otto Pendants

1. Diamond Earrings €875

2. Stack Rings

€35

€595

“When I looked there was nothing that colourful in craft and the designs appeal to everyone from children to 60 somethings.”

Jane Walsh

Button Studio Co. Westmeath

buttonstudio.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

NCAD graduate Jane Walsh started making jewellery while she was still a craft-gallery owner. “I could not find the type of jewellery I wanted to stock in the gallery at a reasonable price point so I started making pieces for sale.” I wanted to turn ordinary objects into exceptional pieces, she explains. “Button Studio uses ordinary buttons to create eye-catching jewellery. Buttons are very familiar objects. Every family has a button jar at home.” The jewellery collection includes rings, cufflinks and earrings.

“Several professional golfers and US congressmen sport Fadó cufflinks,” says John Condron, MD of Fadó. “And I’ve been told Colin Farrell wears one of our rings.”

Rathnew based Fadó design and make contemporary jewellery that carries a Celtic accent. Each piece is handmade. They sell collections in sterling silver, 14 and 18 carat gold and platinum. Fadó features a wide range of designs from Celtic abstract creations to the more traditional Claddagh motifs. Their ‘Impressions of Ireland’ ring with its markings that track landmark moments in Ireland’s history is clever and stylish and has mass appeal. In business since 1993 the jewellery is sold extensively in the United States and Canada.

John Condron

Fádo Co. Wicklow

fadojewelry.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

VICTORIA FOUTZ BIJOUX

MARTINA HAMILTON COLLECTION

JEWELLERY

95 1. Oyster Pearl Pendant €310

Oyster Pearl Stud Earrings 1. Blue Turquoise Necklace 1.

€39

2. Mustard Yellow Pendant €35

“I design with an eye to fashion but these investment pieces have craft hearts. I have used seashells and pearls in my work because of my proximity to the ocean.”

Victoria Foutz

Victoria Foutz Bijoux Co. Mayo

victoriafoutz.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Colombian born Victoria Foutz has been making custom jewellery for the last 10 years. Notable pieces include her three-strand vintage layered necklace and her tiny seed collars that look like they’re fringed. The pieces are made at her studio in Newport, Co. Mayo. What started out as a hobby with friends has evolved into a business. While in Italy working in the film industry as a wardrobe design consultant she collaborated with Monica di Bei Schifano, wife of the Pop Art icon, Mario Schifano, on the design and marketing of a signature line of bijoux and eclectic jewellery.

€80

2. Moon Pendant on Snake Chain €100 Blue Moon Pendant

€350

“The process is quite free when you make each design. I moved towards the abstract and my work started to take on a celestial quality.”

Former sculptor turned goldsmith Martina Hamilton takes a figurative approach to making jewellery. No two pieces of handmade jewellery are the same. “I work in precious metals, mainly sterling silver with 18 carat gold accents. Chameleon looks like the birth of a new star, surrounded by the explosion of other little stars generated by its birth, while the aurora ring with its pearl setting represents a sense of movement of the metal around the pearl that is like the aurora borealis.” Martina Hamilton is self-taught. She studied sculpture in what was then Sligo RTC.

Martina Hamilton

Martina Hamilton Collection Co. Sligo

martinahamilton.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

BREDA HAUGH

JUVI DESIGNS

JEWELLERY

97 2.

1. Solid Oblong Cufflinks €128

1. Faceted and Rough Amethyst Drop Earrings

2. Silver Brooch €140

3. Silver Pendant with Baroque Pearl on Chain

€65

€170

€125

Dublin city based goldsmith Breda Haugh is interested in designing pieces that are representative of our culture. Her contemporary jewellery is rooted in Celtic design.

Breda Haugh

Co. Dublin

bredahaugh.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

2. Faceted Smokey Quartz and Vermeil Oval Pendant Necklace

Breda Haugh works in precious metals using different scratch effects created on the surface to add tactility and atmosphere to the pieces. Each piece is handmade, cast and finished in her Dublin city workshop in the Design Tower. She is one of the jewellers selected by the National Museum of Ireland to create styles based on pieces from their collections to sell in the museum’s gift shops. More recently she created a collection to celebrate the Bender Collection that was being put on permanent display in Collins Barracks.

“We buy really high quality stones. They speak for themselves. The stones are sourced from all over the world but the jewellery is made in our Foxrock studio in Dublin.”

Julie Danz and Vincent Tynan are the creators of Juvi Designs, a jewellery label that champions affordable luxury by way of semi-precious stones set in gold plated sterling silver and sterling silver. “Our jewellery is quite simple,” admits Julie Danz. “People are attracted to its tactility and weight. Our clasps offer insiders a strong signature. Stones have always influenced our designs but we have become more fashion focused. Each design is created by hand with a maximum of 30 pieces of any one design made.”

Julie Danz & Vincent Tynan

Juvi Designs Co. Dublin

juvidesigns.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

FIONA KERR JEWELLERY

DECLAN KILLEN

98 1.

JEWELLERY

1. “Adore” Pendant

1. Contemporary Silver Pendant

2. “Happy Hearts” Necklace

2. Silver Pendant

€385

€142

€64

€117

“Rather than sketching it first with a pencil and paper, I go straight to the bench. The making process informs the design process.”

FIONA KERR

Fiona Kerr Jewellery Co. Antrim

fionakerrjewellery.co.uk

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

“My designs are contemporary and elegant”, explains Fiona. “Much of my work is organic. I discover shapes and forms and draw inspiration from the making process.” Ideas originate in the geometry found in nature, the Fibonacci sequences that appear in everything, from the branching in trees, to the fruitlets of a pineapple, she explains. “Natural organic forms have a geometrical structure and form. I am fascinated how natural things which at first appear to be chaotic are organised and full of structure, and use these sequential patterns in my designs.”

“A hand-crafted piece stands out as an individual item. Handmade jewellery feels different. My designs are easy to wear and easy on the eye.”

Based in Dublin’s city centre, goldsmith Declan Killen creates contemporary and traditional jewellery collections using precious metals. Every piece is conceived and made by hand in his workshop. Working in platinum, 18 carat white and yellow gold as well as sterling silver, he uses stones such as opals, sapphires and diamonds in his individual one-off pieces. One of his traditional collections includes jewellery inspired by Trinity College’s coat of arms collection, which is popular with alumni and tourists.

Declan Killen

Co. Dublin

declankillen.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

MAUREEN LYNCH JEWELLERY

GARRETT MALLON JEWELLERY 1.

JEWELLERY

100

101 “Bond Pendants” €245 / €175

1. Cloicin Catch on Pearls €150

2. Cloicin Oval Bracelet €190

3. Voyage Cufflinks

€185

“Simplicity is what I like. My pieces take their cue from the body itself. I always bear in mind the contours of the body when designing, so that the wearer feels comfortable and at ease.”

Maureen Lynch

Maureen Lynch Jewellery Co. Dublin

maureenlynch.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Maureen Lynch’s designs espouse elegant simplicity and high quality. Each piece is pared down and sculptural. It eliminates all manner of fuss. These are made and finished by hand in her studio in South County Dublin. ‘I fell in love with metal 20 years ago,’ says Lynch who for foundation year attended Grennan Mill in Co. Kilkenny. It has been an ongoing affair. Lynch then went to NCAD and studied metal, doing hollow and small vessels. After graduation she went travelling, moved into jewellery and ended up in Copenhagen.

“My creations are very colourful, crafted by hand and animated by local folklore.”

Goldsmith Garrett Mallon’s designs are imbued with an earthy feel that is inspired by his scenic surroundings, Co. Louth’s Carlingford Lough and Cooley Mountains. Mallon did a pre-apprenticeship course at the Sir John Cass School of Science and Technology in London. He went on to work in jewellery manufacturing with two Irish companies. “It gave me great insight into how you make the process easier and more cost-effective, something that I’ve carried with me into the handmade designs I now make.”

Garrett Mallon

Garrett Mallon Jewellery Co. Louth

garrettmallon.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

HELENA MALONE GOLDSMITH

NINE DESIGN

JEWELLERY

102

103 1. Rhapsody Dramatic Drop Earrings €120

2. Branch & Pearl Ring

1. Sterling Silver & Bog Oak Pendant on Snake Chain

€150

3. Rhapsody Necklace with Jasper Onyx

€650

“I work in all metals, silver, gold, platinum and beginning to work in rose gold, which is lovely against Irish skin.”

HELENA MALONE

Helena Malone Goldsmith Co. Laois

helenamalone.ie

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

“My jewellery is simple, elegant and discreetly different. It’s feminine with an edge. The pieces are designed to enhance the style of the simple dresser. I love a sense of balance in design.” Former finance worker Helena Malone left the sector and went travelling. It was while working in a gallery in Australia that she realised she wanted to work with her hands. “I have an affinity with pearls, freshwater and Tahitian pearls. The ones I use are completely natural in colour. I love their organic shapes.”

€220

2. Combination Wood Cufflinks €35

Originally working in wood, he makes his jewellery using pigmented resin and recently he has been experimenting with cut and polished reindeer antler.

Contemporary jewellery designer Paul Coyne of Nine Design describes his work as erring on the side of minimalism. The pieces respect architectural principles, he explains, which makes sense when you discover that Paul has a background in furniture design having studied the subject at GMIT in Letterfrack, Co. Galway. Upon graduation he joined the family business, working as a general contractor. He started making small turned wood gifts and discovered his inner dandy when he made himself a pair of cufflinks. They offer a subtle way of accessorising, he explains.

PAUL COYNE

Nine Design Co. Offaly

paul-coyne.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

REACTION JEWELLERY

SABA JEWELLERY

JEWELLERY

104

105 1. 1. Polished Pewter Interlinked Necklace

1. Joy Necklace

2. Polished Pewter Earrings

2. Big Fish Necklace

€60 €25

“Craft is a much less throwaway market,” Deborah Darling observes. “Fans of our designs value the pieces more and tend to be more individualistic in their dress style.”

DEBORAH DARLING

Reaction Jewellery Co. Antrim

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Reaction is a jewellery design company that specialises in cast and polished pewter jewellery. These former fashion silversmiths, Deborah Darling and Colin Greer, design a range of brooches, cuffs and necklaces. “They’re big, bold pieces that offer a vague sense of fusion between the Celtic and the contemporary,” explains Deborah Darling. Their statement styles have graced several Northern Ireland newsreaders as well as former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who wore one of their statement brooches when she visited Pope John Paul II.

€125

€90

“In animation things have to work in silhouette and that’s something I’ve brought into my designs. They have an animated look. They possess a sense of whimsy. I like designs that make the wearer smile.”

“Drawing has informed the way my designs look,” says Geraldine Murphy of Saba Jewellery who trained as an animator. She worked on films such as Gawain and the Green Knight, which won a Bafta and with Brown Bag Films on their Oscar-nominated, ‘Give Up Yer Auld Sins.” Self taught in jewellery, which started as a hobby, making pieces for family and friends, Geraldine works in silver mainly with gold embellishments. Some of the pieces have articulated parts such as her dog on a Vespa. “I try to make sure the design is pared back so that it works. In metal – simplicity is the key.”

Geraldine Murphy

Saba Jewellery Co. Dublin

saba.ie

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

RACHEL SWAN DESIGNS

FILIP VANAS 1.

1. Origami Necklace €600

JEWELLERY

106

107 1. Silver & Resin Earrings €121

2. Silver & Resin Pendant €198

Aluminium Bangle 2.

€63

3. Aluminium Ring €87

Combining sterling silver, gemstones and techniques such as doming and forging, Rachel’s finished pieces have an extremely tactile quality.

Rachel Swan

Rachel Swan Designs Co. Dublin

rachelswan.com

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

Rachel Swan is a young, contemporary jewellery designer from Dublin who studied fashion design and administration. I wanted to do something more hands-on, she says explaining how she first got involved in the jewellery making business. She decided to learn her craft at the workbench and joined Alan Ardiff as an apprentice. “The experience taught me how to hone my craft but also how the craft business is run – something you don’t learn in college and essential to survival in business.”

“I like high contrast, vivid colours and strong geometrical compositions. I use silver as the basic material for my work but I like to experiment with other, often non-precious material like textiles and plastics.”

Architect Filip Vanas moved to Dublin from his native Czech Republic in 2005 taking up employment with an Irish architect. In 2009 Filip’s role was made redundant and he decided to take a jewellery course at NCAD under jewellery designer Erika Marks. “I spend a lot of time drafting and distilling the idea, thinking it through and making precise drawings before I touch any tools. I think about what can go wrong before I make it. In that regard my thinking is more industrial than craft in its process.”

FILIP VANAS

Co. Dublin

filipvanas.com

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

INDEX

POTTERY & CERAMICS 16

Emyvale, Co. Monaghan M: +353 (0)86 108 0738 brenda@busybeeceramics.ie www.busybeeceramics.ie

Aisling Gael, Cloosh Gereen Oughterard, Co. Galway M: +353 (0)83 301 7694 livinggingerdesigns@ireland.com www.livinggingerdesigns.etsy.com

Cloonacurra, Ballymote Co Sligo T: +353 (0)71 916 7767 rachelquinnceramics@eircom.net www.rachelquinnceramics.ie

Dunganston, Kilbride, Co. Wickclow M: +353 (0)87 759 6747 jennykellypottery@yahoo.ie www.jennykellypottery.ie

17 Ard Na Mara, Cappagh Kinsale, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)21 4774099 M: +353 (0) 86 322 5089 potteringjulian@yahoo.com www.juliansmithceramics.com

Busy Bee Ceramics

Tom Callery Ceramics Knocknahur, Co. Sligo T: +353 (0)71 916 8929/979 7977 M: +353 (0)86 378 2580 breeoguepottery@eircom.net www.calleryceramics.com

Castle Arch Pottery Castle Yard, Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 775 1933 M: +353 (0)87 232 7743 ray@castlearchpottery.ie www.castlearchpottery.ie

108

Living Ginger Designs

Jenny Kelly Pottery

Paul Maloney Pottery Ballindinas, Barntown Co. Wexford T: +353 (0)53 912 0188 maloneypottery@eircom.net www.paulmaloneypottery.com

Colm de RĂs Irish Pottery

Unit 4,IDA Small Business Park, Clonshaugh Industrial Estate, Dublin 17 T: +353 (0)1 490 3521 M: +353 (0)86 048 3600 admin@colmderis.com www.colmderis.com

Big Mill, Bennettsbridge Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 7505 sales@nicholasmosse.com www.nicholasmosse.com

Milltown, Dublin Road Ashbourne, Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 835 9083 info@diempottery.com www.diempottery.com

Clogher, Ballyferriter, Tralee Co. Kerry T: +353 (0)66 915 6229 clothar@louismulcahy.com www.louismulcahy.com

Longwood Lane Studios Longwood Avenue Portobello, Dublin 8 T: +353 (0)1 454 9588 raymond@raymondkinghan.com www.formsoflife.ie

Coolboa, Clashmore Co. Waterford M: +353 (0)86 607 2137 amandm74@hotmail.com www.amandamurphyceramics.com

Forms of Life

Lynda Gault Ceramics Area 4 Studios Lower Quay Street, Sligo T: +353 (0)71 911 4155 info@lyndagaultceramics.ie www.lyndagaultceramics.ie

Julian Smith Ceramics

Touch Design Ceramics The Rear, 13, Dalymount Road Phibsboro, Dublin 7 M: +353 (0)86 327 0526 touchdesignceramics@gmail.com www.touchdesignceramics.com

Nicholas Mosse

Diem Ceramics

Rachel Quinn Ceramics

Louis Mulcahy Pottery

Amanda Murphy Ceramics

Emer Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan Ceramics 44 Thorndale, Letterkenny Co. Donegal M: +353 (0)86 865 3184 emerosullivan78@hotmail.com www.emerosullivanceramics.com

109

HOME & GIFTS 36

19a Monlough Road West Newtownards, Co. Down T: +353 (0)48 9081 2145 info@bogstandard.ie www.bogstandard.ie

3 Castleknock Gate Castleknock Road, Dublin 15 T: +353 (0)1 820 8774 info@irishlinenhouse.com www.irishlinenhouse.com

Munig North, Skibbereen Co. Cork T: +353 (0)28 23 901 M: +353 (0)86 084 8029 info@paddymccormack.com www.paddymccormack.com

Old Stable Studio, Glenbrook Clonlara, Co. Clare T: +353 (0)61 354 708 M: +353 (0)86 233 5678 anne@aineknitwear.com www.aineknitwear.com

Donegal Town, Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 972 1084 info@hannahats.com www.hannahats.com

Tuamgraney Scarriff, Co. Clare T: +353 (0)61 921 527 info@scarves.ie www.mckernanscarves.com

Island Turf Crafts

Unit 25 Coalisland Enterprise Centre 51 Dungannon Road, Coalisland Co. Tyrone, BT71 4HP T: +44 (0)28 8774 9041 M: +353 (0)87 220 9899 brian@islandturfcrafts.com www.islandturfcrafts.com

Kilkenny Road Bennettsbridge Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 7826 mothtoaflamecandles@gmail.com www.mothtoaflamecandles.com

Kite Design Studios, 11 Henrietta Street, Co. Waterford M: +353 (0)86 123 0696 info@bonziedesigns.com www.bonziedesigns.com

Bog Standard

Bunbury Boards Lisnavagh, Co. Carlow T: + 353 (0)59 916 1784 info@irishwoods.com www.bunburyboards.com

Celtic Roots Studio The Old Schoolhouse Ballinahown, Athlone Co. Westmeath T: +353 (0)906 430 404 info@celticroots.ie www.celtic-roots.com

Ceramic Art & Sculpture

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FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Studio One, The Malthouse Stradbally, Co. Laois M: +353 (0)85 166 9836 info@artsculpture.eu www.artsculpture.eu

Edward Cook 36b The Square Skerries, Co. Dublin T: +353 (0)1 802 9292 M: +353 (0)87 795 6354 info@waylandsforge.com www.waylandsforge.com

The Handmade Soap Company White Gables, Headfort Place Kells, Co. Meath T: + 353 (0)46 929 3838 M: + 353 (0)86 887 3683 / + 353 (0)87 769 8498 donaghquigley@hotmail.com www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie

Hennessey & Byrne Pine Cottages, Rooske Road Dunboyne, Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 825 3176 M: +353 (0)87 230 7521 hennessyandbyrne@gmail.com www.hennessyandbyrne.com

The Irish Handmade Glass Company 11 Henrietta St, Waterford City, T: +353 (0)51 858 914 irishhandmadeglass@gmail.com www.theirishhandmadeglasscompany.com

Irish Linen House

Jerpoint Glass Studio Jerpoint Glass Studio Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 4350 enquiries@jerpointglass.com www.jerpointglass.com

Paddy McCormack

Moth To A Flame

Anna Nielsen Prints Ballylusk, Ashford Co. Wicklow T: +353 (0)404 40 708 M: +353 (0)87 655 8887 nielsenanna@mac.com www.annanielsen.com

3 Shantraud Woods, Killaloe, Co. Clare M: +353 (0)86 339 4724 lynnkenny@gmail.com www.lynnkenny.com

43 Droit Road, Newtownstewart Co. Tyrone, BT78 4DS T: +44 (0)28 8166 1066 M: +44 (0)79 6311 1219 srussellhunter@btinternet.com www.simplyspecial4u.com

The Lives of Birds

Kerry Crafted Glass Kilcummin Killarney, Co. Kerry T: +353 (0)64 43 295 kerrycraftedglass@eircom.net www.irishkerryglass.com

Klickity 7 Manor Place, Dublin 7 T: +353 (0)86 309 6609 info@klickity.ie www.klickity.ie

Annabel Langrish Heron Gallery, Rossnacaheragh Ahakista, Durrus, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)27 67278 M: +353 (0)86 819 6870 annabelc@eircom.net

Little Red Woodworks 63 Newtown Court Malahide Road, Dublin 3 M: +353 (0)87 228 5494 richie@littleredwoodworks.com www.littleredwoodworks.com

Simply Special

Jennifer Slattery Textiles The Malthouse Design Centre, Distillery Court, 537 North Circular Road Dublin 1 T: +353 (0)86 075 4086 mail@jenniferslatterytextiles.com www.jenniferslatterytextiles.com

The Wild Goose Studio Knocknabohilly, Kinsale, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)21 477 2622 M: +353 (0)87 686 6915 info@wildgoosestudio.com www.wildgoosestudio.com

Ă ine Knitwear

Bonzie Designs

Eilis Boyle 8 Clonee Court, Clonee Village Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 443 3268 info@eilisboyle.com www.eilisboyle.com

Cushendale Woollen Mills Cushendale Woollen Mills Mill Road, Graignamanagh Co. Kilkenny T: + 353 (0)59 972 4118 info@cushendale.ie www.cushendale.ie

De Bruir The Design Mews Monasterevin Road Kildare Town, Co. Kildare M: +353 (0)87 618 2290 info@debruir.com www.debruir.com

Fabulous Felt 34 Garryowen Road Co. Limerick M: +353 (0)86 230 4905 katarzyna.ramsey@yahoo.co.uk www.fabulousfelt.ie

Ana Faye Unit 2 Sligo Enterprise Centre Strandhill, Co. Sligo M: +353 (0)87 685 3095 info@anafaye.com www.anafaye.com

Handwoven By Liz Christy Annyalla, Castleblayney Co. Monaghan T: + 353 (0)42 974 6614 M: + 353 (0)87 682 1563 info@lizchristy.com www.lizchristy.com

Hanna Hats

Heather Finn Knitwear 12 Charleville Mall North Strand, Dublin 1 M: + 353 (0)86 891 6560 finnheather@hotmail.com www.heatherfinn.com

Hope & Benson River Cottage, Churchmount Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim T: +353 (0)71 985 6812 M: +353 (0)87 647 7544 info@hopeandbenson.com www.hopeandbenson.com

McKernan Scarves

McCul Clothing Unit 16, Finglas Business Centre Jamestown Road, Dublin 11 M: +353 (0)86 807 4397 derek@mccul.ie www.mccul.com

Edmund McNulty Knitwear Studio 7, Millmount Craft Centre Drogheda, Co. Louth T: +353 (0)41 984 4199 M: +353 (0)86 371 4094 info@edmundmcnulty.com www.edmundmcnulty.com

Linda Wilson Knitwear

Unit 54, Tait Business Centre Dominic Street, Limerick T: +353 (0)61 419 477 M: +353 (0)87 288 6277 info@lindawilsonknitwear.com www.lindawilsonknitwear.com

Kilcar Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 973 8287 M: +353 (0)87 979 0549 rathlinknitwear@eircom.net

Rathlin Knitwear

Kilbride, Newport, Co. Mayo M: +353 (0)87 137 5065 ryder40@hotmail.com www.lisaryderdesigns.com

The Glebe Mill Kilcar, Co Donegal T: +353 (0)74 973 8194 M: +353 (0)87 674 6500 info@studiodonegal.ie www.studiodonegal.ie

Lisa Ryder Designs

Lisa Shawgi 32 The Woods, Laragh Road Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow M: +353 (0)86 856 7269 lisashawgi@hotmail.com www.lisashawgi.com

Mad 4 Hats Gusserane, New Ross Co. Wexford T: +353 (0)51 562 329 M: +353 (0)87 240 6199 patsy@mad4hats.ie www.mad4hats.ie

Edel MacBride Convoy Design House Convoy, Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 914 7508 M: +353 (0)83 343 7031 info@edelmacbride.com www.edelmacbride.com

Studio Donegal

Susannagh Grogan Designs The Enterprise Centre, The Old Firestation, Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin M: +353 (0)86 340 1835 susannagh@hotmail.com www.susannaghgrogan.com

Wendy Louise Designs Cloonteagh Newtown Forbes, Co. Longford T: +353 (0)43 332 9787 info@wendylouisedesigns.ie www.wendylouisedesigns.ie

Woolcore Designs Unit 16, Newtown Business and Enterprise Centre, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow T: +353 (0)1 201 5874 E: info@woolcore.ie W: www.woolcore.ie

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JEWELLERY 86

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Studio 36, The Design Tower Enterprise Centre, Pearse St. Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 671 3098 alanardiff@eircom.net www.alanardiff.com

Rosclave Newport Co. Mayo T: +353 (0)98 42601 M: +353 (0)87 226 6623 info@victoriafoutz.com www.victoriafoutz.com

5 Lismard Court, JFL Avenue Portlaoise, Co. Laois T: +353 (0)57 866 0071 info@helenamalone.ie www.helenamalone.ie

32 Primrose Avenue, Broadstone, Dublin 7 T: + 353 (0)1 445 5727 M: +353 (0)86 398 6765 artysmartyshop@hotmail.com www.artysmartyshop.com

4 Castle Street, Sligo T: +353 (0)71 914 3686 info@martinahamilton.ie www.martinahamilton.ie

Alan Ardiff

Artysmarty

By Yvonne Unit 5, Guinness Enterprise Centre Taylors Lane, Dublin 8 M: +353 (0)86 8818 921 info@byyvonne.ie www.byyvonne.ie

A Box For My Treasure

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The Basement, 9 North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1 M: +353 (0)87 9863370 aboxformytreasure@gmail.com www.aboxformytreasure.etsy.com

Elena Brennan Lisreagh, Co. Cavan T: +353 (0)49 436 1047 M: +353 (0)86 988 2427 elena_brennan@yahoo.co.uk www.elenabrennan.com

Christina Brosnan 6 Seaview Offices Main St., Howth, Co. Dublin M: + 353 (0)86 263 1574 info@christinabrosnan.com www.christinabrosnan.com

Button Studio Meehan, Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath M: + 353 (0)87 670 9530 jane@buttonstudio.ie www.buttonstudio.ie

Fadó Fadó House, Unit 4, Block 6 Broomhall Business Park Rathnew, Co. Wicklow T: +353 (0)404 65226 sales@fadojewelry.com www.fadojewelry.com

Victoria Foutz Bijoux

Martina Hamilton Collection

Breda Haugh Studio 22, The Design Tower Trinity Enterprise & Development Campus Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 670 5738 M: +353 (0)87 274 3222 bredahaugh@eircom.net www.bredahaugh.com

Juvi Designs 11 Brighton Square, Brighton Road Foxrock, Dublin 18 T: +353 (0)1 444 5126 M: +353 (0)86 101 638 juvidesigns@hotmail.com www.juvidesigns.com

Fiona Kerr Jewellery 82c Main Street Cullybackey Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT42 1BW T: +44 (0)28 258 82367 fiona@fionakerrjewellery.co.uk www.fionakerrjewellery.co.uk

Declan Killen 12 Fade Street, Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 677 0829 M: +353 (0)87 249 1156 dmkg@indigo.ie www.declankillen.com

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Maureen Lynch Jewellery 14 Beechwood Park Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin T: +353 (0)1 214 7052 info@maureenlynch.ie www.maureenlynch.ie

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Garrett Mallon Jewellery Arus na Shamroige, Drummullagh Omeath, Co Louth T: +353 (0)42 937 5940 info@garrettmallon.com www.garrettmallon.com

Helena Malone Goldsmith

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Nine Design St. O’Hara, Tullamore, Co. Offaly M: +353 (0)87 935 1450 mail@paul-coyne.com www.paul-coyne.com

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Reaction Jewellery 34 Gardners Road Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT27 5PD T: +44 (0)28 9260 5998 reaction@utvinternet.com

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Saba Jewellery Unit 1m, KCR Estate Kimmage, Dublin 12 T: +353 (0)1 406 3155 M: +353 (0)83 123 3158 info@saba.ie www.saba.ie

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Rachel Swan Designs Studio 6, Rua Red South Dublin Arts Centre Tallaght, Dublin 24 T: +353 (0)1 452 8189 M: +353 (0)87 280 7609 info@rachelswan.com www.rachelswan.com

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Filip Vanas 37, The Cloisters Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W M: +353 (0)87 791 2194 info@filipvanas.com www.filipvanas.com

The Crafts Council of Ireland wants to build on the sense of discovery consumers and retailers experience when they engage with craft makers.

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Emma McGrath Trade Development Manager emmamcgrath@ccoi.ie Nicola Doran International Retail Programme Manager nicola@ccoi.ie Brian McGee Head of Market Development brian@ccoi.ie

Ensuring the visibility of Irish craft to consumers is a key strategic goal for the Crafts Council of Ireland. Our Market Development team is eager to work with retailers around the world who wish to build commercial opportunities with Irish craftspeople and who are committed to promoting Irish craft in their stores in a significant way and to a high standard of presentation and communication.