Creative Island Catalogue 2012

1

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

2

POTTERY & CERAMICS 14

HOME & GIFTS 34

FASHION & ACCESSORIES 58

JEWELLERY 84

Welcome 4

Creative Island 5

Telling Stories 6

Index 108

Register with theCrafts Council of Ireland 114

Head of Market Development: Brian McGeeTrade Development Manager: Emma McGrathText: Alanna Gallagher, Journalist Design: CodyDelahuntyProduct/Portrait Photography: Trevor HartPortrait Photography: Matthew Thompson Fashion Stylist: Niamh O’RourkeAdditional Photography: Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) and Mark Henderson

© Crafts Council of Ireland 2012

All prices shown are Irish RRP including VAT and are subject to change.

ISBN: 978-1-906691-24-0

CONTENTS

4 5

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.

WELCOME

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.

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.

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.

CREATIVE ISLAND

Karen Hennessy

Chief Executive, Crafts Council of Ireland.

Laura Magahy Chairman, Crafts Council of Ireland

6 7

Authenticity is increasingly important to consumers who have become more selective in their purchasing in recent years.

TELLINg STORIES

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.

Communicating The Story of Craft to Generate Sales

8 9

Point of sale material at House of Fraser Dundrum

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.

Effective Merchandising is the Key

10 11

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.

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 – what they did before, where they are from and what is unique about them.

Jewellery Exhibition at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, December 2011

The Ceramicists and Designer Makers campaigns during 2011.

Advertising & Public Relations

12 13Our 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.

Opposite: Insert for December 2011 issue of The Gloss Magazine

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

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

BUSY BEE CERAMICS P16

TOUCH DESIGN CERAMICS P32

DIEM CERAMICS P20

AMANDA MURPHY CERAMICS P28

CASTLE ARCH POTTERYP18

LIVING GINGER DESIGNSP23

LYNDA GAULT CERAMICSP22

PAUL MALONEY POTTERYp25

JULIAN SMITH CERAMICSP31

JENNY KELLY POTTERYP24

RACHEL QUINN CERAMICSP30

FORMS OF LIFEP21

NICHOLAS MOSSE POTTERYP26

TOM CALLERY CERAMICSp 17

COLM DE RÍS IRISH POTTERYP19

LOUIS MULCAHY POTTERYP27

EMER O’SULLIVAN CERAMICSP29

POTTERY & CERAMICS

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.

16 17

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

16 17

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012 CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

BUSY BEE CERAMICS

TOM CALLERY CERAMICS

BRENDA MCGINNBusy Bee Ceramics Co. Dublin

TOM CALLERYCallery Ceramics Co. Sligo

“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.”

1. Porcelain Framed Tile €1102. Raku Harepod €70

1. Bread ‘n’ Butter Jug €152. Bread ‘n’ Butter Jug & Teapot €15 / €35

1.

2.

1.

2.

busybeeceramics.ie calleryceramics.com

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.

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.

“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.”

18 19

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

18 19


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

COLM DE RÍS IRISH POTTERY

CASTLE ARCH POTTERY

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

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

Dots ‘n’ Spots Bowl€25Large Jug€25

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.

Solstice Flow Bowl€120

RAY POWERCastle Arch Pottery Co. Kilkenny

COLM DE RÍSColm de Rís Irish Pottery Co. Dublin

colmderis.comcastlearchpottery.ie

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.

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

19

20 21

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

20 21


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

FORMS OF LIFE

21

DIEM CERAMICS

“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.”

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

1. Medium Jug €442. Wavy Two Square Dish €38

1. Central €2,3002. Orbit of Negative Space €1,900

THOMAS DIEMDiem Ceramics Co. Meath

diempottery.com

RAYMOND KINGHANForms of Life Co. Dublin

formsoflife.ie

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.”

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.

1.

2. 1.

2.

22 23

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

22 23


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

LYNDA gAULT CERAMICS

“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.”

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 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’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.

1. Stoneware Salt & Pepper Pot €302. Stoneware Candlestick €60

1. Small Thin Flora Vessels In Feather and Meadow Flower €322. Large Smocked Wave Vessel €75

LYNDA GAULTLynda Gault Ceramics Co. Sligo

lyndagaultceramics.ie

LOUISE BROWNELiving Ginger Designs Co. Galway

livinggingerdesigns.etsy.com

LIVINg gINgER DESIgNS

1.

2.

1.

2.

24 25

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

24 25


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

PAUL MALONEY POTTERY

JENNY KELLY POTTERY

“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.”

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

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.”

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.

1. Skinny Mugs €132. Mini Salt Pig €23 Olive Dish €24

1. Medium Straight Jug €382. Espresso Cup and Saucer €20

PAUL MALONEYPaul Maloney Pottery Co. Wexford

paulmaloneypottery.com

JENNY KELLYJenny Kelly Pottery Co. Wicklow

jennykellypottery.ie

1. 1.

2.

2.

26 27

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

26 27


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

LOUIS MULCAHY POTTERY

NICHOLAS MOSSE POTTERY

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.

1. Cheese Bell €89.95 Tall Straight Vase €592. Cake Stand €49.95 Casserole Dish €89.95

Pasta bowls€36.55

“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 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.

NICHOLAS MOSSENicholas Mosse Pottery Co. Kilkenny

nicholasmosse.com

LOUIS MULCAHYLouis Mulcahy Pottery Co. Kerry

louismulcahy.com

26

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

1.

2.

28 29

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

AMANDA MURPHY CERAMICS

EMER O’SULLIVAN CERAMICS

28 29


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

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.

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.

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.

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.

1. Small and Large Wave Dishes €40 / €752. Small Ripple Nighlights €23

1. Milk Jug €362. Cheese Dome €120

AMANDA MURPHY LEELAmanda Murphy Ceramics Co. Waterford

EMER O’SULLIVANEmer O’Sullivan Ceramics Co. Donegal

amandamurphyceramics.com emerosullivanceramics.com

1.

1.2.

2.

30 31

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

30 31


PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

RACHEL QUINN CERAMICS

JULIAN SMITH CERAMICS

31

1. Grasslands €352. Grasslands €60

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

“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.”

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.

Rachel Quinn Ceramics creates handmade, raku- fired, 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.

White Crackle Raku Pot€25

RACHEL QUINNRachel Quinn Ceramics Co. Sligo

JULIAN SMITHJulian Smith Ceramics Co. Cork

rachelquinnceramics.ie juliansmithceramics.com

1.

2.

3232

CREATIVE ISLAND 2012

PO

TTER

Y & C

ER

AM

ICS

TOUCH DESIgN CERAMICS

“The Wave Collection”€80 / €28

RADEK ZEMLICATouch Design Ceramics Co. Dublin

touchdesignceramics.com

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

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.

34 35

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 P36

EDWARD COOK P40

ISLAND TURF CRAFTS P45

BUNBURY BOARDS P37

HENNESSY & BYRNE P42

CELTIC ROOTS STUDIO P38

JERPOINT GLASS STUDIO P46

CERAMIC ART AND SCULPTURE P39

THE HANDMADE SOAP COMPANY P41

KERRY CRAFTED GLASS P48

PADDY MCCORMACK P52

MOTH TO A FLAME P53

SIMPLY SPECIAL P55

KLICKITY P49

ANNABEL LANGRISH P50

THE WILD GOOSE STUDIO P57

LITTLE RED WOODWORKS P51

IRISH LINEN HOUSE P44

ANNA NIELSEN PRINTS P54

JENNIFER SLATTERY TEXTILES P56

THE LIVES OF BIRDS P47

HOME & gIFTS

THE IRISH HANDMADE GLASS COMPANY P43

36 37

HO

ME &

GIFTS

36 37

HO

ME &

GIFTS


BUNBURY BOARDS

BOg STANDARD

“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 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.

1. 150g Soap €6.952. Small Irish Clover Candle

and Scented Sachets €7.95 / €3.95

Large carving board with removable stainless steel spike carving plate€159

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.

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.

WILLIAM BUNBURY& DINA NOLANBunbury Boards Co. Carlow

bunburyboards.com

ALIX MULHOLLANDBog Standard Co. Down

bogstandard.ie

1.

2.

38 39

HO

ME &

GIFTS

38 39

HO

ME &

GIFTS


CELTIC ROOTS STUDIO

CERAMIC ART & SCULPTURE

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.

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.

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.

Small Lady With Bag€125

EDYTA SZYMANSKACeramic Art & Sculpture Co. Laois

www.artsculpture.eu

HELEN CONNEELYCeltic Roots Studio Co. Westmeath

celtic-roots.com

1. Wishes €220 (each)2. Links €350

1.

2.

40 41

HO

ME &

GIFTS

40 41

HO

ME &

GIFTS


HO

ME &

GIFTS

EDWARD COOK

THE HANDMADE SOAP COMPANY

41

“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 Irish- made goods.”

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

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.

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.

1. A Squeaky Clean Pamper Kit €59.99 Christmas Pamper Kit €29.992. Body Butter €2.95 Moisturising Cream €24.95 Shower Gel €6.95 Lip Balm €4.50

1. Sterling Silver Ring Pull Bracelet €1852. The Tube Ring – Stone set

18ct yellow gold €2,250

DONAGH QUIGLEYThe Handmade Soap Company Co. Meath

thehandmadesoapcompany.ie

EDWARD COOK36b The Square Skerries, Co. Dublin

waylandsforge.com

1. 1.

2. 2.

42 43

HO

ME &

GIFTS

42 43

HO

ME &

GIFTS


THE IRISH HANDMADE gLASS COMPANY

HENNESSY & BYRNE

Red Daisy Collection€119.95 / €89.95 /€29.95

1. Handcrafted Connemara Marble Cheese Board and Knife Set

€1102. Selection of Stainless Steel

Cutlery Items with Handcrafted Connemara Marble Handles

€24 – €50

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.

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.

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 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.

ERIC BYRNEHennessey & Byrne Co. Meath

The Irish Handmade Glass Company Co. Waterford

hennessyandbyrne.comtheirishhandmade glasscompany.com

1.

2.

44 45

HO

ME &

GIFTS

44 45

HO

ME &

GIFTS


IRISH LINEN HOUSE

ISLAND TURF CRAFTS

1. Embroidered Linen Napkins €15.502. Embroidered Linen Tablerunner €99.95

1. Celtic Trinket Box €19.952. Bardic Harp on Base €24.95

BRIAN MCGIRRIsland Turf Crafts Co. Tyrone

www.islandturfcrafts.com

GREG WHELANIrish Linen House Co. Dublin

irishlinenhouse.com

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.”

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.

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

“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.”

1.

1.2.

2.

46 47

HO

ME &

GIFTS

46 47

HO

ME &

GIFTS


JERPOINT gLASS STUDIO

THE LIVES OF BIRDS

CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

1. “The Girls” Limited Edition Framed Prints

€602. 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.”

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

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.

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.

1. Large Poppy Platter €3502. Festival Square Vases €46.50 – €57.50

RORY LEADBETTERJerpoint Glass Studio Co. Kilkenny

LYNN KENNYThe Lives Of Birds Co. Clare

jerpointglass.com lynnkenny.com

1.

2.

1.

2.

48 49

HO

ME &

GIFTS

48 49

HO

ME &

GIFTS


KERRY CRAFTED gLASS

KLICKITY

48

HO

ME &

GIFTS

1. Fanfare Clock €552. Klip Modular NoticeBoard (Pack of 3) €15

“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.”

“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.”

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.

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.”

1. Autumn Coloured Centrepiece €682. Glass Oval Style Plate €68

TERRENCE MCSWEENEYKerry Crafted Glass Co. Kerry

irishkerryglass.com

ELIZABETH FINGLETON& KATE CRONINKlickity Co. Dublin

klickity.ie

48

HO

ME &

GIFTS

1.

2. 1.

2.

50 51

HO

ME &

GIFTS

50 51

HO

ME &

GIFTS


LITTLE RED WOODWORKS

ANNABEL LANgRISH

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

Karn€3,500

1. Piglet €1722. Harebells €172

RICHARD HEFFERNANLittle Red Woodworks Co. Dublin

ANNABEL LANGRISH Co. Cork

littleredwoodworks.comherongallery.net

1.

2.

52 53

HO

ME &

GIFTS

52 53

HO

ME &

GIFTS


PADDY MCCORMACK

MOTH TO A FLAME

52

HO

ME &

GIFTS

“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.”

“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.”

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.”

“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.

The Fold Candle Holder€50 1. Rock Candles

€6.99 – €32.992. Glow Globe €20 – €35

LARRY KINSELLAMoth To A Flame Co. Kilkenny

mothtoaflame.ie

PADDY MCCORMACKCo. Cork

paddymccormack.com

1.

2.

54 55

HO

ME &

GIFTS

54 55

HO

ME &

GIFTS


SIMPLY SPECIAL

“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.”

“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.”

“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.

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.

1. Range of Handmade Cards €4.952. Range of Handmade Cards €4.95

“Wedding Bells” 1/750 signed Limited Edition Print Framed€59.95Tube€28.95Large Tube€49.95

ANNA NIELSENAnna Nielsen Prints Co. Wicklow

annanielsen.com

SHIRLEY HUNTERSimply Special Co. Tyrone

simplyspecial4u.com

ANNA NIELSEN PRINTS

1.

1.

2.

56 57

HO

ME &

GIFTS

56 57

HO

ME &

GIFTS


JENNIFER SLATTERY TEXTILES

THE WILD gOOSE STUDIO

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

“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.”

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.

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.

1. Framed Piece €50 – €552. Framed Piece €50 – €55

1. Granny’s China (Napkins, Set of Tw0) €322. Granny’s China (Tablerunner 220 × 50cm) €140

JENNIFER SLATTERYJennifer Slattery Textiles Co. Dublin

jenniferslatterytextiles.com

JAMIE MCCARTHY FISHERThe Wild Goose Studio Co. Cork

wildgoosestudio.com

1.

2.

1.

2.

58 59

BONZIE DESIGNS P61

ANA FAYE P66

DE BRUIR P64

EILIS BOYLE P62

HANNA HATS P68

HOPE & BENSON P70

HEATHER FINN KNITWEAR P69

FABULOUS FELT P65

WOOLCORE DESIGNS P83

CUSHENDALE WOOLLEN MILLS P63

LISA SHAWGI P73

MAD 4 HATS P74

MCCUL CLOTHING P77

EDMUND MCNULTY KNITWEAR P78

RATHLIN KNITWEAR P79

STUDIO DONEGALP80

SUSANNAGH GROGAN DESIGNSP81

MCKERNAN SCARVES P76

EDEL MACBRIDE P75

AÍNE KNITWEAR P60

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.

LINDA WILSON KNITWEAR P71

LISA RYDER DESIGNS P72

WENDY LOUISE DESIGNS P82

HANDWOVEN BY LIZ CHRISTY P67

FASHION & ACCESS-

ORIES

60 61

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

60 61

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


“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.”

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

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.”

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.

ANN BEHAN MCCONNELLÁine Knitwear Co. Clare

aineknitwear.com

1. Soft Grey Wave Patterned Collar €45 Soft Grey Wave Patterned Snood €752. Teal Fringed Collar €99 Grey Wool Dress €180

Handcrafted Black Linen RuffleTop with Corsage Embellishment€159Handcrafted Upcycled LaceTattered Ruffled Skirt€149

AÍNE KNITWEAR

BONZIE DESIgNS

YVONNE CROTTY& GER MCDONALDBonzie Designs Co. Waterford

bonziedesigns.com

1.

2.

62 63

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

62 63

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


“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.”

“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.”

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.

“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.”

1. Brushed Mohair & Boucle Mohair Throws €47.50 – €87.502. Brushed Mohair & Boucle Mohair Throws €47.50 – €87.50

1. Chunky Merino Scarf €95 Multi Coloured Chunky Merino Throw €1702. 100% cashmere Shrug €210 Ombre Silk Chiffon Dress €450

PHILIP CUSHENCushendale Woollen Mills Co. Kilkenny

EILIS BOYLECo. Meath

cushendale.ieeilisboyle.com

EILIS BOYLE

CUSHENDALE WOOLLEN MILLS

1.

2.

1.

2.

64 65

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

64 65

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


DE BRUIR FABULOUS FELT

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

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.

1. Leafy Scarf €782. Felted Flower €193. Felted Lace Scarf €59

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.

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.

GARVAN DE BRUIRDe Bruir Co. Kildare

debruir.com

KATARZYNA RAMSEYFabulous Felt Co. Limerick

fabulousfelt.ie

1. Parachuter Bag €4702. Leather iPad Cover €95

1.

2.

1.

2.

3.

66 67

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

66 67

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


ANA FAYE

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

1. Lillia / Olivia Baby Bag €1892. Leanora Bag €169

1. Sheep Brooches €4.952. Classic Boucle Scraf €95

LIZ CHRISTYHandwoven By Liz Christy Co. Monaghan

lizchristy.com

ANNA VAHEY CASEYAna Faye Co. Sligo

anafaye.com

HANDWOVEN BY LIZ CHRISTY

1.

2.

1.

2.

68 69

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

68 69

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


HANNA HATS

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.

“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.”

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.

“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.

2.

Ladies Bluestack Hat€55Traditional Vintage Cap€45

JOHN HANNAHanna Hats Co. Donegal

hannahats.com

HEATHER FINNHeather Finn Knitwear Co. Dublin

heatherfinn.com

Turquoise honeycomb dress€180Pink cardi with gold crochet detail€250Orange fringe scarf€150

HEATHER FINN

KNITWEAR

70 71

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

70 71

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


HOPE & BENSON

“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.”

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.

ANGELA HOPEHope & Benson Co. Leitrim

hopeandbenson.com

LINDA WILSONLinda Wilson Knitwear Co. Limerick

lindawilsonknitwear.com

1. “Vintage Garden” Collection €10 – €132. “Vintage Garden” Collection €10 – €13

Fair Isle Long Sleeved Top€225Polka Dot Skirt€170

LINDA WILSON

KNITWEAR

1.

2.

72 73

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

72 73

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


LISA RYDER DESIgNS

“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.”

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

“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 Egyptian-Sudanese 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 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.

LISA SHAWGICo. Wicklow

lisashawgi.com

1. Flock it Scarf €65 – €982. Lisa Marie Scarf €75 – €150

1. Silk and Cashmere Dress €3482. Kim Coat €348

LISA RYDERLisa Ryder Designs Co. Mayo

lisaryderdesigns.com

LISA SHAWgI

1.

2.

1.

2.

74 75

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

74 75

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


MAD 4 HATS

EDEL MACBRIDE

“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 MACBRIDECo. Donegal

edelmcbride.com

1. Judy Trilby €27 Judy Collar €262. Flapper Hat €60

1. Stripe Dress €1902. Mailesque Batwing Dress /

Tunic Dress €475

Tunic €345

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

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.

PATSY FLOOD O’CONNORMad 4 Hats Co. Wexford

mad4hats.ie

1.

2.

1.

2.

76 77

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

76 77

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


MCKERNAN SCARVES

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

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

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.

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.

DEREK YOUNGMcCul Clothing Co. Dublin

mccul.ie

1. “Cosmo” Merino Wool Scarf €782. “Bubble” Merino Wool Scarf €58

Supersoft Fleece Hoodywith Multi-ColouredEmbroidered Logo€25

MCCUL CLOTHINg

ANKE & EUGENE MCKERNANMcKernan Scarves Co. Wexford

mckernanscarves.com

1.

2.

78 79

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

78 79

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


“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.”

“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.

Rathlin Knitwear is a progressive craft business based in the Gaeltacht area of south-west 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 SWEENEYRathlin Knitwear Co. Donegal

1. Chunky Knit Red Hoody €2452. Black Kid-Mohair and Marino Wool Blend €245

1. Gents Classic crew sweater in Donegal Tweed

€79 Ladies Cotton tunic sweater €892. Ladies 3/4 length jacket with

handmade ceramic buttons €120

EDMUND MCNULTY KNITWEAR

RATHLIN KNITWEAR

EDMUND MCNULTYEdmund McNulty Knitwear Co. Louth

edmundmcnulty.com

1.

2.

1.

2.

80 81

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

80 81

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


STUDIO DONEgAL

“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.”

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.

TRISTAN DONAGHYStudio Donegal Co. Donegal

studiodonegal.ie

1. Handwoven Tweed Scarf €352. Three Button Jacket €259

Butterfly Scarf / Wrap€180

SUSANNAgH gROgAN DESIgNS

SUSANNAGH GROGANSusannagh Grogan Designs Co. Dublin

susannaghgrogan.com

1.

2.

82 83

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES

82 83

FAS

HIO

N &

ACC

ESS

OR

IES


“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.”

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

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.

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.

1. Navy Pill Box with Ribbon Detail €1452. Small Green Beanie Hat with Pearl Detail €180

Laptop / Document Bag€81iPad Bag€31

WENDY LOUISE DESIgNS

WOOLCORE DESIgNS

WENDY LOUISE KNIGHTWendy Louise Designs Co. Longford

wendylouisedesigns.ie

CHARLOTTE SEHMISCHWoolcore Designs Co. Wicklow

woolcore.ie

1.

2.

84 85

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 P86

BY YVONNE P88

ELENA BRENNAN P90

BUTTON STUDIO P92

JUVI DESIGNS P97

A BOX FOR MY TREASURE P89

CHRISTINA BROSNAN P91

BREDA HAUGH P96

FADÓ P93

ARTYSMARTY P87

VICTORIA FOUTZ BIJOUX P94

FIONA KERR JEWELLERY P98

MAUREEN LYNCH JEWELLERY P100

HELENA MALONE GOLDSMITH P102

REACTION JEWELLERY P104

GARRETT MALLON JEWELLERY P101

NINE DESIGN P103

SABA JEWELLERY P105

RACHEL SWAN DESIGNS P106

FILIP VANAS P107

DECLAN KILLEN P99

MARTINA HAMILTON COLLECTION P95

JEWELLERY

86 87

JEW

ELLE

RY

86 87

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

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

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.

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 laser-cut, wood badges in particular offer cost-effective his or her gift ideas.

1. High Flyer Pendant €POA2. Two For Joy Pendant €310

1. “Japanese Flower” Earrings €14.952. “Carousel Series” Necklace €24.95

ALAN ARDIFFCo. Dublin

alanardiff.com

ANGELA CUTHILLArtysmarty Co. Dublin

artysmartyshop.com

ALAN ARDIFF ARTYSMARTY

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

88 89

JEW

ELLE

RY

88 89

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

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

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 hand-crocheted, 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.

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.

1. Leather Necklace €1502. Friendship Bracelet €40 Friendship Earrings €353. Adornment Fan Bag

€220

1. Gold Orchid & Violet Quartz Earrings €252. Gold Orchid & Cobalt Blue

Chalcedony Necklace €27

BY YVONNE A BOX FOR MY TREASURE

YVONNE BEALEBy Yvonne Co. Dublin

byyvonne.ie

JUDITH RITCHIEA Box For My Treasure Co. Dublin

aboxformytreasure.etsy.com

1.

1.

2.

2.

3.

90 91

JEW

ELLE

RY

90 91

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

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

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.

1. Gossamer Petals & Pearls Bracelet €330 Drop Earrings €1252. Petal & Pearl Pendant €67

1. Osseous Neckpiece €330 Osseous Disc Earrings €1552. Contour Drape (Reversable Necklace) €365

CHRISTINA BROSNANCo. Dublin

christinabrosnan.com

ELENA BRENNAN

CHRISTINA BROSNAN

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.

ELENA BRENNANCo. Cavan

elenabrennan.com

1.

1.2.

2.

92 93

JEW

ELLE

RY

92 93

JEW

ELLE

RY


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

“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.”

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.

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.

JANE WALSHButton Studio Co. Westmeath

buttonstudio.ie

JOHN CONDRONFádo Co. Wicklow

fadojewelry.com

1. Button Robot €122. Fabric Tablet Pendant €23 New Button Design Barrel Pendant €353. Button Otto Pendants €35

BUTTON STUDIO

FADÓ

1. Diamond Earrings €8752. Stack Rings €595

1.

1.

2.

2.

3.

94 95

JEW

ELLE

RY

94 95

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

“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.”

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.

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.

VICTORIA FOUTZVictoria Foutz Bijoux Co. Mayo

victoriafoutz.com

1. Blue Turquoise Necklace €392. Mustard Yellow Pendant €35

1. Oyster Pearl Pendant €310

Oyster Pearl Stud Earrings €802. Moon Pendant on Snake Chain €100 Blue Moon Pendant €350

MARTINA HAMILTONMartina Hamilton Collection Co. Sligo

martinahamilton.ie

VICTORIA FOUTZ BIJOUX

MARTINA HAMILTON COLLECTION

1.

1.2.

2.

96 97

JEW

ELLE

RY

96 97

JEW

ELLE

RY


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 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.

1. Solid Oblong Cufflinks €128

2. Silver Brooch €140

3. Silver Pendant with Baroque Pearl on Chain

€170

BREDA HAUGHCo. Dublin

bredahaugh.com

“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 TYNANJuvi Designs Co. Dublin

juvidesigns.com

BREDA HAUgH

JUVI DESIgNS

1. Faceted and Rough Amethyst Drop Earrings

€652. Faceted Smokey Quartz and

Vermeil Oval Pendant Necklace €125

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

98 99

JEW

ELLE

RY

98 99

JEW

ELLE

RY


1. “Adore” Pendant €3852. “Happy Hearts” Necklace €64

“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.

“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.”

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

DECLAN KILLENCo. Dublin

FIONA KERRFiona Kerr Jewellery Co. Antrim

declankillen.comfionakerrjewellery.co.uk

1. Contemporary Silver Pendant €1422. Silver Pendant €117

FIONA KERR JEWELLERY

DECLAN KILLEN

1.

1.

2.

2.

100 101

JEW

ELLE

RY

100 101

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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’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.

MAUREEN LYNCHMaureen Lynch Jewellery Co. Dublin

maureenlynch.ie

“Bond Pendants”€245 / €175

“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 MALLONGarrett Mallon Jewellery Co. Louth

garrettmallon.com

1. Cloicin Catch on Pearls €1502. Cloicin Oval Bracelet €1903. Voyage Cufflinks €185

MAUREEN LYNCH JEWELLERY

gARRETT MALLON

JEWELLERY

100

JEW

ELLE

RY

1.

2.

3.

102 103

JEW

ELLE

RY

102 103

JEW

ELLE

RY


1. Sterling Silver & Bog Oak Pendant on Snake Chain €2202. Combination Wood Cufflinks €35

HELENA MALONE gOLDSMITH

NINE DESIgN

“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.”

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.

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

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

HELENA MALONEHelena Malone Goldsmith Co. Laois

helenamalone.ie

PAUL COYNENine Design Co. Offaly

paul-coyne.com

1. Rhapsody Dramatic Drop Earrings €1202. Branch & Pearl Ring €1503. Rhapsody Necklace with

Jasper Onyx €650

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

104 105

JEW

ELLE

RY

104 105

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

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.

“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.”

GERALDINE MURPHYSaba Jewellery Co. Dublin

saba.ie

1. Joy Necklace €1252. Big Fish Necklace €90

REACTION JEWELLERY

SABA JEWELLERY

DEBORAH DARLINGReaction Jewellery Co. Antrim

1. Polished Pewter Interlinked Necklace

€602. Polished Pewter Earrings €25

1.

1.2.

2.

106 107

JEW

ELLE

RY

106 107

JEW

ELLE

RY


“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.”

1. Silver & Resin Earrings €1212. Silver & Resin Pendant €198 Aluminium Bangle €633. 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 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.”

RACHEL SWANRachel Swan Designs Co. Dublin

FILIP VANASCo. Dublin

rachelswan.com filipvanas.com

1. Origami Necklace €600

RACHEL SWAN DESIgNS

FILIP VANAS

106

JEW

ELLE

RY

1.

2.

3.

108 109

16Busy Bee Ceramics

Emyvale, Co. Monaghan M: +353 (0)86 108 0738 [email protected] www.busybeeceramics.ie

17Tom Callery Ceramics

Knocknahur, Co. Sligo T: +353 (0)71 916 8929/979 7977 M: +353 (0)86 378 2580 [email protected] www.calleryceramics.com

18Castle Arch Pottery

Castle Yard, Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 775 1933 M: +353 (0)87 232 7743 [email protected] www.castlearchpottery.ie

19Colm de Rís 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 [email protected] www.colmderis.com

20Diem Ceramics

Milltown, Dublin Road Ashbourne, Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 835 9083 [email protected] www.diempottery.com

21Forms of Life

Longwood Lane Studios Longwood Avenue Portobello, Dublin 8 T: +353 (0)1 454 9588 [email protected] www.formsoflife.ie

22Lynda Gault Ceramics

Area 4 Studios Lower Quay Street, Sligo T: +353 (0)71 911 4155 [email protected] www.lyndagaultceramics.ie

23Living Ginger Designs

Aisling Gael, Cloosh Gereen Oughterard, Co. Galway M: +353 (0)83 301 7694 [email protected] www.livinggingerdesigns.etsy.com

24Jenny Kelly Pottery

Dunganston, Kilbride, Co. Wickclow M: +353 (0)87 759 6747 [email protected] www.jennykellypottery.ie

25Paul Maloney Pottery

Ballindinas, Barntown Co. Wexford T: +353 (0)53 912 0188 [email protected] www.paulmaloneypottery.com

26Nicholas Mosse

Big Mill, Bennettsbridge Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 7505 [email protected] www.nicholasmosse.com

27Louis Mulcahy Pottery

Clogher, Ballyferriter, Tralee Co. Kerry T: +353 (0)66 915 6229 [email protected] www.louismulcahy.com

28Amanda Murphy Ceramics

Coolboa, Clashmore Co. Waterford M: +353 (0)86 607 2137 [email protected] www.amandamurphyceramics.com

29Emer O’Sullivan Ceramics

44 Thorndale, Letterkenny Co. Donegal M: +353 (0)86 865 3184 [email protected] www.emerosullivanceramics.com

30Rachel Quinn Ceramics

Cloonacurra, Ballymote Co Sligo T: +353 (0)71 916 7767 [email protected] www.rachelquinnceramics.ie

31Julian Smith Ceramics

17 Ard Na Mara, Cappagh Kinsale, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)21 4774099 M: +353 (0) 86 322 5089 [email protected] www.juliansmithceramics.com

32Touch Design Ceramics

The Rear, 13, Dalymount Road Phibsboro, Dublin 7 M: +353 (0)86 327 0526 [email protected] www.touchdesignceramics.com

POTTERY & CERAMICSINDEX

110 111

60Áine Knitwear

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

61Bonzie Designs

Kite Design Studios, 11 Henrietta Street, Co. Waterford M: +353 (0)86 123 0696 [email protected] www.bonziedesigns.com

62Eilis Boyle

8 Clonee Court, Clonee Village Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 443 3268 [email protected] www.eilisboyle.com

63Cushendale Woollen Mills

Cushendale Woollen Mills Mill Road, Graignamanagh Co. Kilkenny T: + 353 (0)59 972 4118 [email protected] www.cushendale.ie

64De Bruir

The Design Mews Monasterevin Road Kildare Town, Co. Kildare M: +353 (0)87 618 2290 [email protected] www.debruir.com

65Fabulous Felt

34 Garryowen Road Co. Limerick M: +353 (0)86 230 4905 [email protected] www.fabulousfelt.ie

66Ana Faye

Unit 2 Sligo Enterprise Centre Strandhill, Co. Sligo M: +353 (0)87 685 3095 [email protected] www.anafaye.com

67Handwoven By Liz Christy

Annyalla, Castleblayney Co. Monaghan T: + 353 (0)42 974 6614 M: + 353 (0)87 682 1563 [email protected] www.lizchristy.com

68Hanna Hats

Donegal Town, Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 972 1084 [email protected] www.hannahats.com

69Heather Finn Knitwear

12 Charleville Mall North Strand, Dublin 1 M: + 353 (0)86 891 6560 [email protected] www.heatherfinn.com

70Hope & Benson

River Cottage, Churchmount Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim T: +353 (0)71 985 6812 M: +353 (0)87 647 7544 [email protected] www.hopeandbenson.com

71Linda Wilson Knitwear

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

72Lisa Ryder Designs

Kilbride, Newport, Co. Mayo M: +353 (0)87 137 5065 [email protected] www.lisaryderdesigns.com

73Lisa Shawgi

32 The Woods, Laragh Road Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow M: +353 (0)86 856 7269 [email protected] www.lisashawgi.com

74Mad 4 Hats

Gusserane, New Ross Co. Wexford T: +353 (0)51 562 329 M: +353 (0)87 240 6199 [email protected] www.mad4hats.ie

75Edel MacBride

Convoy Design House Convoy, Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 914 7508 M: +353 (0)83 343 7031 [email protected] www.edelmacbride.com

76McKernan Scarves

Tuamgraney Scarriff, Co. Clare T: +353 (0)61 921 527 [email protected] www.mckernanscarves.com

77McCul Clothing

Unit 16, Finglas Business Centre Jamestown Road, Dublin 11 M: +353 (0)86 807 4397 [email protected] www.mccul.com

78Edmund McNulty Knitwear

Studio 7, Millmount Craft Centre Drogheda, Co. Louth T: +353 (0)41 984 4199 M: +353 (0)86 371 4094 [email protected] www.edmundmcnulty.com

79Rathlin Knitwear

Kilcar Co. Donegal T: +353 (0)74 973 8287 M: +353 (0)87 979 0549 [email protected]

80Studio Donegal

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

81Susannagh Grogan Designs

The Enterprise Centre, The Old Firestation, George’s Place Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin M: +353 (0)86 340 1835 [email protected] www.susannaghgrogan.com

82Wendy Louise Designs

Cloonteagh Newtown Forbes, Co. Longford T: +353 (0)43 332 9787 [email protected] www.wendylouisedesigns.ie

83Woolcore Designs

Unit 16, Newtown Business and Enterprise Centre, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow T: +353 (0)1 201 5874 E: [email protected] W: www.woolcore.ie

36Bog Standard

19a Monlough Road West Newtownards, Co. Down T: +353 (0)48 9081 2145 [email protected] www.bogstandard.ie

37Bunbury Boards

Lisnavagh, Co. Carlow T: + 353 (0)59 916 1784 [email protected] www.bunburyboards.com

38Celtic Roots Studio

The Old Schoolhouse Ballinahown, Athlone Co. Westmeath T: +353 (0)906 430 404 [email protected] www.celtic-roots.com

39Ceramic Art & Sculpture

Studio One, The Malthouse Stradbally, Co. Laois M: +353 (0)85 166 9836 [email protected] www.artsculpture.eu

40Edward Cook

36b The Square Skerries, Co. Dublin T: +353 (0)1 802 9292 M: +353 (0)87 795 6354 [email protected] www.waylandsforge.com

41The 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 [email protected] www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie

42Hennessey & Byrne

Pine Cottages, Rooske Road Dunboyne, Co. Meath T: +353 (0)1 825 3176 M: +353 (0)87 230 7521 [email protected] www.hennessyandbyrne.com

43The Irish Handmade Glass Company

11 Henrietta St, Waterford City, T: +353 (0)51 858 914 [email protected] www.theirishhandmadeglasscompany.com

44Irish Linen House

3 Castleknock Gate Castleknock Road, Dublin 15 T: +353 (0)1 820 8774 [email protected] www.irishlinenhouse.com

45Island 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 [email protected] www.islandturfcrafts.com

46Jerpoint Glass Studio

Jerpoint Glass Studio Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 4350 [email protected] www.jerpointglass.com

47The Lives of Birds

3 Shantraud Woods, Killaloe, Co. Clare M: +353 (0)86 339 4724 [email protected] www.lynnkenny.com

48Kerry Crafted Glass

Kilcummin Killarney, Co. Kerry T: +353 (0)64 43 295 [email protected] www.irishkerryglass.com

49Klickity

7 Manor Place, Dublin 7 T: +353 (0)86 309 6609 [email protected] www.klickity.ie

50Annabel Langrish

Heron Gallery, Rossnacaheragh Ahakista, Durrus, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)27 67278 M: +353 (0)86 819 6870 [email protected]

51Little Red Woodworks

63 Newtown Court Malahide Road, Dublin 3 M: +353 (0)87 228 5494 [email protected] www.littleredwoodworks.com

52Paddy McCormack

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

53Moth To A Flame

Kilkenny Road Bennettsbridge Co. Kilkenny T: +353 (0)56 772 7826 [email protected] www.mothtoaflamecandles.com

54Anna Nielsen Prints

Ballylusk, Ashford Co. Wicklow T: +353 (0)404 40 708 M: +353 (0)87 655 8887 [email protected] www.annanielsen.com

55Simply Special

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

56Jennifer Slattery Textiles

The Malthouse Design Centre, Distillery Court, 537 North Circular Road Dublin 1 T: +353 (0)86 075 4086 [email protected] www.jenniferslatterytextiles.com

57The Wild Goose Studio

Knocknabohilly, Kinsale, Co. Cork T: +353 (0)21 477 2622 M: +353 (0)87 686 6915 [email protected] www.wildgoosestudio.com

FASHION & ACCESSORIESHOME & gIFTS

112

86Alan Ardiff

Studio 36, The Design Tower Enterprise Centre, Pearse St. Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 671 3098 [email protected] www.alanardiff.com

87Artysmarty

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

88By Yvonne

Unit 5, Guinness Enterprise Centre Taylors Lane, Dublin 8 M: +353 (0)86 8818 921 [email protected] www.byyvonne.ie

89A Box For My Treasure

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

90Elena Brennan

Lisreagh, Co. Cavan T: +353 (0)49 436 1047 M: +353 (0)86 988 2427 [email protected] www.elenabrennan.com

91Christina Brosnan

6 Seaview Offices Main St., Howth, Co. Dublin M: + 353 (0)86 263 1574 [email protected] www.christinabrosnan.com

92Button Studio

Meehan, Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath M: + 353 (0)87 670 9530 [email protected] www.buttonstudio.ie

93Fadó

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

94Victoria Foutz Bijoux

Rosclave Newport Co. Mayo T: +353 (0)98 42601 M: +353 (0)87 226 6623 [email protected] www.victoriafoutz.com

95Martina Hamilton Collection

4 Castle Street, Sligo T: +353 (0)71 914 3686 [email protected] www.martinahamilton.ie

96Breda 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 [email protected] www.bredahaugh.com

97Juvi Designs

11 Brighton Square, Brighton Road Foxrock, Dublin 18 T: +353 (0)1 444 5126 M: +353 (0)86 101 638 [email protected] www.juvidesigns.com

98Fiona Kerr Jewellery

82c Main Street Cullybackey Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT42 1BW T: +44 (0)28 258 82367 [email protected] www.fionakerrjewellery.co.uk

99Declan Killen

12 Fade Street, Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 677 0829 M: +353 (0)87 249 1156 [email protected] www.declankillen.com

100Maureen Lynch Jewellery

14 Beechwood Park Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin T: +353 (0)1 214 7052 [email protected] www.maureenlynch.ie

101Garrett Mallon Jewellery

Arus na Shamroige, Drummullagh Omeath, Co Louth T: +353 (0)42 937 5940 [email protected] www.garrettmallon.com

102Helena Malone Goldsmith

5 Lismard Court, JFL Avenue Portlaoise, Co. Laois T: +353 (0)57 866 0071 [email protected] www.helenamalone.ie

103Nine Design

St. O’Hara, Tullamore, Co. Offaly M: +353 (0)87 935 1450 [email protected] www.paul-coyne.com

104Reaction Jewellery

34 Gardners Road Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT27 5PD T: +44 (0)28 9260 5998 [email protected]

105Saba Jewellery

Unit 1m, KCR Estate Kimmage, Dublin 12 T: +353 (0)1 406 3155 M: +353 (0)83 123 3158 [email protected] www.saba.ie

106Rachel 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 [email protected] www.rachelswan.com

107Filip Vanas

37, The Cloisters Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W M: +353 (0)87 791 2194 [email protected] www.filipvanas.com

JEWELLERY

114 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.

Emma McGrath Trade Development Manager [email protected]

Nicola Doran International Retail Programme [email protected]

Brian McGee Head of Market [email protected]

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

REgISTER WITH THE CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND AS A RETAIL PARTNER

Documents

Creative Island Catalogue 2012