If you’re in the market for some statement pieces for the home, then head to the Ballymaloe Grain Store in Shanagarry, East Cork, where some of the best in Irish design is on show from tomorrow.
In a world when mass-produced products dominate the marketplace, Irish Design Works is a collective of talent whose annual exhibition is a rare opportunity to see and touch authentic, handcrafted design.
Running from today, Friday, July 24th, to Sunday, August 16th, it features best-in-class artists in a diverse range of disciplines, including bespoke furniture, contemporary lighting, ceramics, glass, leather, willow, and sculptural works in wood and metal.
It’s a must-visit event for anyone seeking heirloom-quality pieces.
Here is a selection of the work on show:
Alan Horgan Studio
Inspired by nature and made from materials responsibly sourced in nature, Alan Horgan Studio’s pendant lights on show include Stella, which takes its cues from the fuchsia that lines hedgerows across the countryside. Finished in a soft satin-matt coating to accentuate the natural wood grain, it comes in oak, shown, sapele or walnut with prices starting from €810. The size shown costs €1,350. A second design, Flos, meaning blossom in Latin, is a favourite with biophilic interioristas. comes in the same material choices and is priced similarly.
Ann McBride Ceramics
A graphic designer and illustrator who now demonstrates her talents using the ceramic medium, Ann McBride Ceramics features colourful illustrations that are whimsical and a little subversive. Using contemporary elements like tattoos to create a narrative, the female form in historical works of art is lifted from the past and subverted to address issues such as feminism. With humour, she alters how women have been historically portrayed and gives them a more assertive demeanour. This is evident in her bone china plates, which include tattooed divers, from €1,200, and swallows, €1,500. Prices start from €500 for a circus bowl.
Elements of Action
Stone mason Ed Coveney is one half of collaboration Elements of Action, which comprises Coveney and Esther Gerrard. He has taken the idea of Ireland’s practice of dry stone construction, which was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024, to inspire his Nodules, sculptures made of flint that have the appearance of miniature side tables and must be touched to really understand the power of nature. The pieces cost between €2,00 and €3,000.
Glasshammer Studios
Donegal native Michelle O’Donnell of Glasshammer Studios makes fused glass artworks and sculptures in her purpose-built studio in Co Offaly. Her works are in the White House Art Collection, USA, the late Queen Elizabeth’s personal art collection, and the AIB Art collection. Exhale is new work in blown glass in crystal on black toughened glass; the glass has been blown and then deflated and distorted. The price of the work shown is €3,000, but she also works to commission.
Shane Holland Design Workshops
With experience in metalworking, composites, woods, and plastics, and having exhibited in London, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, and Beijing, Shane Holland Design Workshops Red Lorry Yellow Lorry experiments with triangulated coloured elements, grounding them in seven places to the aluminium base. Thermoformed in acrylic with the tallest one in translucent dark grey, two shades of red and two shades of yellow, this piece comes with a black turntable, allowing viewers to rotate the piece for satisfying viewing. Price: €1,800.
Studio Harris
After a long spell in Dublin and working with her alma mater, The Furniture College in Letterfrack, Tricia Harris of Studio Harris moved to Kerry, where she works with a selection of highly-skilled makers to produce designs that include Lagom kitchen, a freestanding double-sided island unit handcrafted from mixed solid hardwoods that can be customised. Prices start from €17,500, and the Lagom sideboard, handcrafted from solid oak, is available to order in several sizes with prices starting from €3,800.
Shane Tubrid Furniture
Based in Co Wexford, Shane Tubrid Furniture studied furniture design and cabinet making in Bray Institute of Further Education before being accepted into the renowned Furniture College in Letterfrack, Co Galway. He’s spent the 20 years since working on a commission basis, designing contemporary pieces tailored to those who have a keen appreciation for exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design, while employing traditional techniques.
Hanna Van Aelst
Belgian artist Hanna Van Aelst makes both functional work, rooted in history and land, and sculptural work as a creative expression of what she feels the natural world wants to express through her. The forms are delightful and tactile and feature materials grown on her own smallholding farm in Co Tipperary, where she also runs basket-making workshops. Prices for her sculptures start from about €1,800. The piece shown will cost more.
For more information, a full list of exhibiting artists, and to view a gallery of past works, visit Ballymaloe Grain Store. The show runs from Friday, July 24th, to Sunday, August 16th.
