Design & Crafts Council Ireland

Design & Crafts Council Ireland is the national agency for the commercial development of Irish designers and makers. Also on FB and Instagram.

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

A wonderful weekend celebrating Irish craft and design at The Glucksman’s Craft + Design Fair.

Thank you to everyone who took part, and to Mary Blanchfield for joining the launch and meeting the makers. Congratulations to this year’s award winners:

🏆 Best Newcomer: An Gee Chan
🌱 Sustainability Award: Coppiceworks
✨ Best Display: Farraige

Thanks to The Glucksman for another brilliant celebration of Irish makers and design.

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

A closer look at the intricate detail and beauty of the Carrickmacross Lace in Michael Stewart’s AW26/27 Couture, Paris, dresses as part of Standing Ground: Ireland-France, Savoir-Faire, Innovation and the Future of Crafts at the National Museum of Ireland.

Theresa Kelly, Martha Hughes, Bríd Deery, Áine Hanrahan and Sarah Hughes from Carrickmacross Lace admire their 4000 hours of collective work. 📸 Julien Behal

Close-ups of the detailed work 📸 Karen Cox

The work is now on display, along with photography and a documentary on its making, until January 10th.
Standing Ground is organised by Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland, and funded by DCCI with support from Maison Vermont and LVMH Métiers d’Excellence.

For more information, visit link here- https://t.co/f3W1HJuCGc

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.
#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

🎬 We rounded off our Monday evening keynote, ’Ireland’s Cultural Capital - Moving from Funding to Investment’ by meeting some of the team behind the video for, ‘Did ye ever get The Ride at The Wake House?’, a collaboration between composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist ‘RÓIS’ & hhh’.

In conversation with Tom Watts, Programme Director of Irish Design Week, they charted its course through the awards process leading up to being recently crowned ‘Best Youth Music Video’ at the First Cut Youth Film Festival.

“The term ‘creativity’ is not a separate industry,” said Alexandra Vostokova (dance artist, emerging choreographer and director). “It is a practice and approach, anyone can have funding which is essential but it creates short-term thinking. What artists are missing are structural supports such as spaces.”

Photographed (L-R): Tom Watts, Adam O’Reilly (Director & Producer), Alexandra Vostokova, Marlon Hiraldo (Styling) and Cian Hamilton (Cinematography).

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland

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[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Print design and publishing were examined at our Monday evening keynote, ’Ireland’s Cultural Capital - Moving from Funding to Investment’.

This was explored through Issue XII of New Word Order, a concrete case study of what institutions gain when they invest in creative and cultural production.

PJ Matthews (CFA Director) discussed ‘engaged creativity’ as an attempt to break down old ivory tower idea of universities while Executive Editor Dr. Jonathan C. Creasy discussed student engagement through creating an editorial board, as they whittled down 600 submissions to 20, and how this practical hands-on experience of all aspects of the publishing process brought a professionalism to the output.

This literary journal is produced through UCD’s Literary Editorship class, led by Executive Editor Dr. Jonathan C. Creasy with design partner Rossi McAuley of Distinctive Repetition and produced in partnership between the Creative Futures Academy (CFA), University College Dublin and the National College of Art and Design.

Photographed (L-R): PJ Matthews, Dr Jonathan Creasy, Louise Allen (Director CFA), Ruth Hegarty, Managing Editor of Publications at the RIA

For more information, visit: https://t.co/YXpaQuFBkJ

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland

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[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

This evening we explored ‘Ireland's Cultural Capital - Moving from Funding to Investment’ at one of our keynote events.

✍️ The Irish Writers Centre discussed their collaboration with Brand Central to create their new brand redesign and website which went live today.

Mags McLoughlin (CEO) of the Writers Centre spoke about how they considered their own brand story before starting the process and the significance of value alignment.

⚡ “Be collaborative, be strategic, be inclusive, be focused,” were the key takeaways from Ger Whelan, Founder & Creative Director, of Brand Central who led us through the research phases as iterations were refined before selection.

Photographed (L-R): Mags McLoughlin & Tara McEvoy (Communications Manager) from the Irish Writers Centre, Michelle McGuire (Partner & Digital Lead) & Ger Whelan.

For more information, visit: https://t.co/YXpaQuFBkJ
Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland

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[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Dance artist and director Adam O’Reilly, together with fashion stylist Marlon Hiraldo, will be discussing funding and investment opportunities as well as their work with Róis on the video for ‘Did ye ever get The Ride at The Wake House?’ at our talk on Ireland’s Cultural Capital at the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Monday evening.

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

💥 Our Design of Craft conference brought together a rich and varied collection of insights.

🔗 Breda Haugh, Frank Cormack, Erica Devine, Garvan de Bruir and Brendan Joyce discussed the enduring value of human creativity and its position within the context of contemporary changes.

✨ Susan Zelouf & Michael Bell (Zelouf & Bell) explained how their work is at the, “vortex of art, design and history, not just furniture” and how they bring “story and poetry” to their creations.

🚀 Paul Young (Cartoon Saloon) explained their place in an industry, starting off with 15 friends out of Ballyfermot College of Further Education, and now are part of 50 studios with 2500 people working in a flourishing field.

💫 Mark Maher (Odyssey Studios) shared the significance of spotting opportunities and the collaborative process as a prop maker working with teams from production design, set, costume and many more on a series such as Tim Burton’s Wednesday.

💡 Dee Morgan-Smyth presented her work as Fort Gallery and highlighted the power of documentation and working with the meitheal of people by taking us through recent projects such as with Ómós.

🌟 Nathalie B Coleman explained the role of Carrickmacross Lace as a, “testament to perserverence of women who have passed on tradition over 200 years” and how their work is on display in gowns created by Michael Stewart which will be on display at the Standing Ground exhibition which opens at the National Museum of Ireland on Wednesday.

🪄 Charlotte Espinosa and Véronique Lamotte from Dior spoke to Ruth O’Connor about the tradition of embroidery in France and their involvement with Standing Ground.

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Today, Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) announced the winners of the sixth Irish Business Design Challenge (IBDC), which celebrates micro and small businesses using sustainable design to create positive change.

🏆 Agus Arís from Co. Mayo was the winner in the Micro Business category, while We Make Good from Dublin was the winner in the Small Business category, each receiving €20,000.

🏅 Two runners up were awarded €5,000 on the day: Islander Architects from Balbriggan in the Micro Business category and Celtic Tweed, also from Balbriggan in the Small Business category.

Irish Design Week brings together designers, makers, businesses, cultural organisations, educators and creative leaders from Ireland and across Europe for a week-long celebration of design in all its forms.

📸 Photographed at the Award ceremony this morning are: Cathy Coghlan (Celtic Tweed), Laura Carroll and Ciarán Molumby (Islander Architects), Seán O’Sullivan (Agus Arís), Mary Blanchfield (DCCI CEO) and Lucy Clarke (We Make Good).

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Spotsolas an Domhnaigh 💫⁠
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Lueur Home Candles is celebrating the changing seasons with the launch of a beautiful new Pumpkin Autumn Collection. 🎃🍂⁠
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Fully handcrafted in County Wexford, the seasonal collection brings a touch of autumn warmth and creativity, just in time for the cosier months ahead. 🕯️⁠
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Having recently joined the wonderful community of local creatives at The Makers House Wexford on Crescent Quay, Lueur Home Candles invites craft lovers to visit the Boardwalk, meet the makers and discover the new collection in person.⁠
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A lovely celebration of local craftsmanship, creativity and the magic of the autumn season ✨

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

👏 Congratulations to EquiMetrics & https://t.co/VNWOdz2kDa, the inaugural winner of the Irish Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) which is a new initiative and collaborative creation of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI).

🐎 EquiMetrics and https://t.co/VNWOdz2kDa’s “S-PRO” is a wearable technology platform designed to give racehorse trainers insights into performance, fitness and recovery. Nominated by IxDA – Interaction and digital design.

The Jury prize winner receives a prize of €15,000. The IDEA National Collection Acquisition will be awarded by the National Museum of Ireland with a purchase fund of up to €10,000.

📸 Pictured at the announcement and exhibition launch today L-R are:

Peter Hynes (DCCI Chair), Frank Long (designer from https://t.co/4JwBnkbyiL), Donal Maguire (Keeper of the Art and Industrial Division of the National Museum of Ireland) and Mary Blanchfield (DCCI CEO), designer Frank Long with the winning S-PRO technology and IDEA participants and nominee organisation representaives (group image).

For more information on the Award and nominees see https://t.co/BxdAgaafXM

📆 Runs until Jan 23rd, 2027.

⏰ 10am-5.30pm (Tues-Sat)

📍National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny

🎟️ Free

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026 #IDEA

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Step into Eutopia, where 18 of Ireland’s leading illustrators imagine a more hopeful, inclusive and welcoming future.

Responding to our theme of 🇮🇪 ‘Fáilte Future Europe’ 🇪🇺, Eutopia combines “EU” and “utopia” to consider the future we hope to welcome – and how attainable that vision might be.

Illustrators include Ale Mercado, Una Woods, Dermot Flynn, Mark Hill, Tatyana Feeney, Olivia Golden, Sally Dunne, Enagh Farrell, Karen Harte, Eva Kelly, Linda Fährlin, Jennifer Farley, Bex Sheridan, Aga Grandovicz and Sean Casey, alongside NCAD students Fiona Stanikic and Amanda Larkin.

📆 Tuesday, November 10th (opening)
⏰ 7pm
📍 The Space Between, Dublin
🎟️ Free

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW202

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

👀 Take a first look at the Irish Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) exhibition which opens today in the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny and officially starts Irish Design Week.
It is a new initiative and collaborative creation of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) showcasing projects nominated by Ireland's leading design organisations and selected for their design excellence, innovation, impact, and cultural and national significance.
🏆 The overall winner, as selected by a Jury, will be announced later today with the winning creative project receiving a prize fund of €15,000.
For more information on the Award and nominees see https://t.co/BxdAgaafXM

📆 Runs until Jan 23rd, 2027. ⏰ 10am-5.30pm (Tues-Sat) 📍National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny. 🎟️ Free

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

In the heart of Kenmare, Le Chéile Collective brings together the artists, makers, designers and crafters who shape the creative life of this town.

The exhibition will feature work by Edit Design Studio, Steve Allin, Luis Avilès Fragrances, Eamonn O’Sullivan (Anchor Studio), Roman Puech, Ruslan Honchlar, Eoghan Kavanagh, Denise Cronin, Gabriella Ward, Rosina Law-Braney, Adrian Duyn, Jon O’Connor, Kim Crowley and Studio Túath.

📆 Thursday, November 12th – Sunday, November 15th\
⏰ 6.30pm (Thursday opening) | 11am–4pm (Friday–Sunday)
📍 Bridge Street, Kenmare
🎟️ Free

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW202

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Meet the maker – Emily Noone
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Based in Kildare, Emily Noone is the maker behind Heirlooms by Em, a sentimental embroidery studio creating pieces inspired by the people, places and moments that hold meaning.⁠
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From handwriting and children’s drawings to family homes, wedding venues and pet portraits, Emily transforms personal details into embroidered heirlooms, preserving them just as they were. Her Heritage Collection also celebrates the familiar symbols and places that make Ireland feel like home.⁠
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✨ Discover the stories behind Emily’s thoughtful embroidered heirlooms and her passion for bringing treasured memories out of the drawer and into the home.⁠
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👉 Read the full interview via the link here- https://t.co/qKXJshr4k6

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Defuse – Design for Use is a free, community-led event bringing together designers, creative practitioners and curious minds for an evening of fast-paced ideas, stories and reflection.

The theme “Who Made This?” invites us to look beyond the finished outcome and ask who shaped it, what shaped it, and what was decided along the way that no one thought to question.

💬 Speakers:
Iman El Sayed (The Missing 0.5%), Lara Hanlon (Design 2035: Pathways to the Future), James Kelly (Who Made Ireland Look Like Ireland?), Anna Mészáros (Alignment, Not Pixels: Influence and Facilitation as Critical Design Skills), Vanina Pappacena (The Invisible Facilitator), Pies Para Qué (Mis Pies, Mi Casa: Walking, Making, Belonging), Khushi Mehta (This Screen Has 12 Owners), Cristina Rusu (We All Designed This, Eventually), Egle Venclovas (Who Made This? Fear), Paul Hendrick (Who Gets to Design Healthcare?), Saumya Shashi (The Quiet Before The Question) and Gillian Laffan (No Crying Babies).

📆 Monday, November 9th
⏰ 6pm
📍 The Sugar Club, Dublin
🎟️ Free (ticketed)

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

For more information, visit the link here- https://t.co/rlA2WiaDny

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

❓ How can heritage craft remain relevant in the twenty-first century?

Standing Ground: Ireland-France, Savoir-Faire, Innovation and the Future of Crafts highlights the work of Irish designer Michael Stewart, founder of the Irish fashion atelier Standing Ground, and winner of the inaugural LVMH Savoir-Faire Prize in 2024, through the lens of exceptional craftsmanship and savoir-faire from France and Ireland.

It features two dresses shown in Paris in July 2026: a Carrickmacross lace dress, hand-drawn by Michael Stewart and worked by Monaghan artisans over 4,000 hours, alongside a black corseted embroidered dress created with Maison Vermont's exceptional savoir-faire and over 500 hours of work.

The entire creation process was documented through photography, film and sound. This is a story of fashion, craftsmanship and cultural legacy.

📆 From Wednesday November 11th. Runs until Jan 10th.
⏰ 10am-5pm (Tues-Sat), 1pm-5pm (Sun-Mon)
📍 National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks
🎟️ Free

The exhibition is organised by Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland, and funded by DCCI with support from Maison Vermont and LVMH Métiers d'Excellence.

For more information, visit link here- https://t.co/f3W1HJuCGc

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

🦊🧤 Come and celebrate Irish creativity, botanical beauty and the art of making a foxglove by hand.

Explore the art of crepe-paper floristry with Irish botanical paper artist Nodlaig Caffrey of The Paper Petal Studio.

Beginner friendly • All materials provided

📆 Saturday November 7th
⏰ 10am-1pm
📍 Amo and Pax, Kilmacanogue, Wicklow.
🎟️ €55

For more information visit our link here- https://t.co/J3rn83QyeA

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

Bring Your Glass invites participants to bring a plain drinking glass, mug, or vase from home, meet fellow design lovers, and turn it into your own artwork in the fun, relaxed and social atmosphere of 777. Markers & ideas supplied.

Responding to our theme of 🇮🇪 ‘Fáilte Future Europe’ 🇪🇺, Bring Your Glass promotes sustainable design habits and creative reuse in everyday life, connecting collective creativity with a sustainable future.

This event is organised by Burcu Yilmaz.

📆 Sunday November 8th
⏰ 2pm
📍 777, Dublin
🎟️ €5

For more information visit our link here- https://t.co/90QyHFRcY5

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

👏 Which contemporary Irish design projects will matter in fifty years? 👏

The Irish Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is a new initiative and collaborative creation of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). It showcases projects nominated by Ireland's leading design organisations and selected for their design excellence, innovation, impact, and cultural and national significance.

IDEA offers a unique snapshot of contemporary Irish creativity and highlights the contribution design makes to Ireland's cultural, social, and economic life.

Shortlisted projects include:

🐎 EquiMetrics and https://t.co/VNWOdz2kDa’s S-PRO, a wearable technology platform designed to give racehorse trainers insights into performance, fitness and recovery. Nominated by IxDA – Interaction and Digital Design.

💧 Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant, by Clancy Moore Architects. Nominated by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI).

🎬 All Ways Home, a short illustrated film by Alan Dunne, released to mark the launch of EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first space mission. Nominated by Illustrators Ireland.

“With the introduction of the IDEA award, we hope to encourage designers, makers and creatives to continue pushing boundaries, innovate and challenge the world around us.”
– Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

“The Museum’s IDEA acquisitions will grow the national collection as a broader expression of human creativity and as a source of inspiration to future designers.”
– Dónal Maguire, Keeper of the Art and Industrial Division at the National Museum of Ireland.

📆 Saturday, November 7th – January 23rd, 2027
⏰ Opening Saturday: 12pm
Gallery opening hours: 10am–5.30pm (Tuesday–Saturday)
📍 National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
🎟️ Free admission

For more information visit the link- https://t.co/ApPkJfelfd

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026 #IDEA

[Design & Crafts Council Ireland @DCCIreland]

👏 Which contemporary Irish design projects will matter in fifty years? 👏

The Irish Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is a new initiative and collaborative creation of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). It showcases projects nominated by Ireland's leading design organisations and selected for their design excellence, innovation, impact, and cultural and national significance.

IDEA offers a unique snapshot of contemporary Irish creativity and highlights the contribution design makes to Ireland's cultural, social, and economic life.

Shortlisted projects include:

𓉱 Backpacking Housing, an internationally acclaimed architecture project by Superposition. Nominated by the Irish Architecture Foundation.

🎮 Mega Dreoilín, a video game created by Namaco, holding a mirror up to society’s increasing housing crisis. Nominated by Imirt.

🪡 Tapestry of Ireland, a visual representation of everyday Irish life by artist Eileen McNulty. Nominated by CCAI.

The winning creative project of the IDEA Jury Prize will receive a prize fund of €15,000. The IDEA National Collection Acquisition will be awarded by the National Museum of Ireland, with a purchase fund of up to €10,000.

📆 Saturday, November 7th – January 23rd, 2027
⏰ Opening Saturday: 12pm
Gallery opening hours: 10am–5.30pm (Tuesday–Saturday)
📍 National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
🎟️ Free admission

For more information visit- https://t.co/ApPkJfelfd

Irish Design Week 2026 is brought to you by Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

#IrishDesignWeek2026 #IDW2026 #IDEA