You're invited to a gathering of world-class design talent at Design Kenmare. It’s a chance to meet and mingle with some of Ireland’s black type names in home and design disciplines.
We all like nice things, but some individuals see things differently and are able to conjure up visual identities that stand out enough to make us sit up and take notice.
Some of these leaders in their fields, in product, retail, architecture, fashion, furniture, design, graphic, interior, and photographic design, are heading to the handsome town of Kenmare to share their knowledge with a select few.
Design Kenmare is a mix of talks, coupled with plenty of craic and side missions to explore the food and drink offer of this vibrant south Kerry destination.
It’s a scenic spot and setting the scene, the agenda and the benchmark is local boy Bryan O’Sullivan, who’s brought his talents to the world.
His Bryan O’Sullivan Studio was nominated by Architectural Digest for an AD100 2025 award, one of the highest accolades an interior design firm can hope to earn.
His work can be seen in the suites and restaurant at Claridge's, which leads this story, and in the Berkley bar, both in London.
In Dublin, he is currently giving the Grande Dame hotel, The Shelbourne, a very discreet facelift.
Also on the roster is Annie Atkins, an Oscar-winning graphic designer who won the Academy Award for Best Production Design as part of the team for the 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Furniture maker Mark Fish will discuss his sculptural forms while colour queen Roisin Lafferty continues her ascendancy.
Her work can be seen on the pages and digital sites of some of the best-known titles, her studio cum gallery on one of Dublin’s most beautiful Georgian squares shows off her talents, and a select range of other designer pieces, and she's just launched a paint range for Fleetwood Prestige.
Faces from the small screen will also feature. These include architect and RTE’s Home of the Year presenter Amanda Bone.
Knife maker, Gubbeen cheese maker, and Co Cork farmer Fingal Ferguson will be discussing his ultra-high-end knife range, while luxury jewellery designer Jenny Heuston, whose home previously featured on Home and Style, will be discussing her Edge Only brand, which has a rock star following.
Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey continue to be cheerleaders for a host of native talent, all showcased at the Irish Design Shop. The duo will discuss how they captivated the market to create a destination store that is magic to visit.
There’s loads more talent talking too at Design Kenmare, which takes place this weekend, from Friday, November 14th to Sunday, November 16th inclusive.
It features a series of talks, get-togethers, and, likely, some unscheduled breakout sessions in the local cafes, bars, and restaurants.
Accommodation is listed on the site and ranges from affordable B&Bs to ritzy five-star establishments such as Park Kenmare and Sheen Falls. Go on - make a weekend of it.
Tickets for Design Kenmare cost from €15 for a single event to €70 for access to all the events on Saturday to €130 for full weekend attendance.
