A craft tour of Kerry

In County Kerry, craft and design are neither relics nor objects of exclusivity, but things that are lived, made and used. As well as established names such as Louis Mulcahy pottery and Kerry Woollen Mills, the county is home to a new wave of designers and craftspeople who are filtering traditions through a very modern lens, giving rise to a fresh, distinctly Irish aesthetic that feels both rooted and new. 

Pieces by Fermoyle Pottery, located in wave-lashed Ballinskelligs, grace the tables of some of the island’s best restaurants; David Holden’s plates and bowls, made using local clay from the Dingle Peninsula, bring a sense of place to the new, design-led Ómós guesthouse in County Laois; and Fiadh Woven Design’s contemporary textiles use the colours, patterns and wild beauty of the landscape to create richly textured scarves and blankets.

This flourishing of Kerry-based craft and design reflects the importance placed on creativity in Ireland, as well as our rich artistic and cultural heritage. Indeed, part of what unites both established Irish design labels and emerging Irish makers is a respect and love for the island’s craft and artisanal traditions, which are still deeply embedded in communities both in Kerry and across the island. 

Travel here and, against a backdrop of spectacular natural scenery, you can enjoy firsthand this vibrant culture of craft, through rich and meaningful encounters with the people and places behind it.

As fashion columnist and content creator Verona Farrell discovered when she journeyed through Kerry, meeting artists, makers and craftspeople, these destinations offer a deeper connection to the people and places that make Ireland unique. 

Louis Mulcahy Pottery Set amidst the raw and rugged landscapes of Slea Head on the Dingle Peninsula, Louis Mulcahy has been described as “the godfather of Irish craft”. According to Lasse Mulcahy, the pieces embody a distinctly Irish aesthetic that reflects the wild beauty of the local landscape, “the reds of the sunset, the blues and the greens of the sea”. Designed to be used, made and cherished, they create a strong link to the area, a place rich in tradition and culture.

The shop and workshop sit just across from Clogher Strand, a small windswept beach with pale sands framed by small cliffs. It’s worth taking a moment to visit the strand first – to take in the Atlantic colours and textures that inform the work – before heading across to Louis Mulcahy Pottery for a behind-the-scenes Workshop Tour.

Located on the famously beautiful Ring of Kerry, Kerry Woollen Mills has been creating fabrics and yarn from fine wool for more than 300 years. Deeply rooted in place, the mill was originally set up to alleviate local poverty and is now one of the last surviving traditional woollen mills still manufacturing in Kerry. Indeed, many of its original 17th-century buildings are still standing.

“We’re quite unique in what we do here,” says Yvonne Eadie of Kerry Woollen Mills. “Weaving is only part of what we do; we make yarn, and then we weave it. The craft is Irish – it’s done here, it’s done by us.” Step inside the mill and you can see how raw wool is transformed into a range of products, from traditional Aran cable knits to tweed caps.

A key supporter of the West Kerry arts, crafts and design scene, Lisbeth Mulcahy was also one of Ireland’s foremost designers and contemporary artists. “She was absolutely blown away by the culture, nature, the islands and the mountains,” explains Linda Allen of Siopa na bhFíodóirí in Dingle, the shop and weaving studio that Mulcahy established in the buzzy town of Dingle in 1986.

Today, the store sells Lisbeth’s collection of locally woven scarves and stoles inspired by the West Kerry landscape, as well as knitwear, jewellery, and other pieces by Irish designers, all housed in a beautiful building dating back to 1850. After your visit, pop into Dick Mack’s pub, one half of which is a leather shop, which is open from Monday to Friday.