The small craft and design businesses, representing 22 counties in Ireland, have all been supported by their Local Enterprise Office, making it possible for them to sell to international retail buyers from more than twenty countries such as the US, France, Japan, China and Italy.
Liam Heavey, left, of Green Angel, supported by Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, with Vincent Reynolds of the Local Enterprise Offices.
Showcase at the RDS runs from January 24th to 27th and is the first major trade event of the year, organised by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and promoted internationally by Enterprise Ireland. The dedicated Enterprise Zone in the balcony area, co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices, has become known as the home for emerging designers and craftspeople in recent years.
A wide range of creative sectors will be represented by the Enterprise Zone this month, such as ceramics, knitwear, jewellery, interiors, skincare and giftware. Announcing the plans for 2016, Kieran Comerford, Chair of Local Enterprise Offices in the Local Authorities Network said: “Many of the 97 small businesses within the Enterprise Zone are new start-ups or first-time exhibitors, making their debut in 2016. Thanks to practical business support through the Local Enterprise Offices, these companies are well-placed to secure substantial international orders during Showcase, helping to grow their order books, their export markets and their job creation prospects.”
According to figures from Indecon*, well over 5,000 people work in the craft sector in Ireland with plenty of opportunities for small companies to grow and for new enterprises to start-up.
Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be working once again with the Local Enterprise Offices in introducing Irish and international buyers to the latest exciting products from emerging Irish designers and makers at Showcase. This annual trade show, which is now in its 40th year, is active in promoting Ireland’s well-recognised strengths for design and creativity to buyers from Ireland and over 20 countries around the world. I would like to commend and thank the Local Enterprise Offices for supporting small craft and design businesses in participating in the Enterprise Zone at Showcase. The exhibiting companies represent the wealth of creative talent in Ireland today and this dedicated area at Showcase plays a critical role in helping emerging Irish entrepreneurs develop their business and expand their client base.”
Kieran Comerford of the Local Enterprise Offices also highlighted the year-round supports that are available to design-focussed businesses, helping them to grow and expand. He said: “As well as making it possible for designers and craftspeople to exhibit at trade events, such as Showcase, there are lots of other supports available to the craft and design sector locally. These include financial assistance, microfinance loans, trading online vouchers, mentoring, business advice clinics and training programmes, which are all available through the Local Enterprise Offices.”
The Enterprise Zone is located in the Balcony Area of the RDS Main Hall at Showcase, which is open to trade buyers from Sunday, January 24th to Wednesday, January 27th. Further information around the Enterprise Zone at Showcase is available here and through www.showcaseireland.com.
Designers and Makers Exhibiting within the Enterprise Zone at Showcase in the RDS (Jan 24th – 27th 2016)
Supported by the Local Enterprise Offices in the Local Authorities Network
Presenting a scarf to President Micheal D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins at the 2015 Showcase event was Shirley Copperwhite of Shirley Copperwhite Designs (supported by Local Enterprise Office Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown).
From the County of Carlow
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Carlow | JEWELLERY | Bolina | F15 |
Carlow | HOME & GIFT | Rara Photography | F14 |
From the County of Clare
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Clare | HOME & GIFT | Sealed with Irish Love | F68 |
Clare | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Celtic Fusion Design | F69 |
Clare | HOME & GIFT | Airmid Natural Irish Skincare | F70 |
Clare | HOME & GIFT | Avokado & Co | F71 |
From the County of Cork
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Ocean Bloom | F78 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Loominations Irish Custom Throws | F79 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Little Red Skincare | F80 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Little Green Dot | F81 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Craftek | F82 |
Cork County and City | JEWELLERY | Angela O’Keefe Jewellery | F83 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Waters + Wild | F84 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Olive Murphy Designs | F85 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Aurora Natural Skincare | F87 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | O’Dea Irish Art | F88 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | Seymours Irish Biscuits | F89 |
Cork County and City | HOME & GIFT | My Stones | F90 |
From the County of Donegal
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Donegal | HOME & GIFT | Donegal Pottery | F24 |
Donegal | HOME & GIFT | Irish Furniture Store | F25 |
From the County of Dublin
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Dublin City | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Lorna Gaffney White Design | F35 |
Dublin City | HOME & GIFT | LouLouBelle Design | F36 |
Dublin City | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Aria-V Jewellery | F34 |
Dublin City | HOME & GIFT | Wild by Water | F33 |
Dublin City | HOME & GIFT | Lainey K | F37 |
Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown | HOME & GIFT | Shirley Copperwhite Designs | F4 |
Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Melanie Hand Design Jewellery | F5 |
Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown | HOME & GIFT | Killiney Arts | F6 |
Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown | HOME & GIFT | Clonlea Design | F7 |
Fingal | FASHION & JEWELLERY | James Joyce Jewellery | F20 |
Fingal | HOME & GIFT | Berry Be Beauty | F21 |
Fingal | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Tracy Gilbert Design | F22 |
Fingal | HOME & GIFT | Fab Cow Design | F23 |
South Dublin | HOME & GIFT | Green Angel | F1 |
From the County of Galway
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Galway | HOME & GIFT | Turnstone Pottery | F74 |
Galway | HOME & GIFT | Friends and Family Trees | F75 |
Galway | HOME & GIFT | Michael Vignoles Bodhrans | F76 |
Galway | HOME & GIFT | Pippablue | F77 |
From the County of Kerry
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Kerry | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Kerry Woollen Mills | F10/F11 |
Kerry | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Made4U | F12 |
Kerry | HOME & GIFT | Muckross Bookbinding | F13 |
Kerry | FASHION & JEWELLERY, HOME & GIFT | Amélie Gagné Studio | F13 |
From the County of Kildare
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Kildare | HOME & GIFT | The Bog Oak Sculpture | F48 |
Kildare | HOME & GIFT | Breaking Ground Enterprises Ltd | F48 |
Kildare | HOME & GIFT | Joanna Doyle | F48 |
Kildare | HOME & GIFT | Nature’s Glow | F48 |
Kildare | HOME & GIFT | KT Metal Design | F48 |
From the County of Laois
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Laois | HOME & GIFT | Edyta ART | F58 |
Laois | HOME & GIFT | Rose and Alice Handcrafted Soaps and Gifts | F58 |
From the County of Leitrim
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Leitrim | HOME & GIFT | Leitrim Pottery | F41/F42 |
Leitrim | HOME & GIFT | The Leitrim Design House | F41/F42 |
Leitrim | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Jean Whitfield Jewellery | F41/F42 |
Leitrim | HOME & GIFT | Jo Gray Collections | F41/F42 |
Leitrim | HOME & GIFT | Roy Humphreys Woodturning | F41/F42 |
From the County of Limerick
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Limerick | HOME & GIFT | Cill Seannaig Coillteach | F64 |
Limerick | HOME & GIFT | Brid O'Kane | F64 |
Limerick | HOME & GIFT | Homeland Candles | F64 |
Limerick | HOME & GIFT | Ballyhoura Ceramics | F64 |
Limerick | FASHION | Daiva's Textiles | F64 |
Limerick | JEWELLERY | Fergus Grant-Stevenson | F64 |
Limerick | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Susan McCarthy Designs | F64 |
Limerick | HOME & GIFT | Moon River Chocolates | F64 |
From the County of Louth
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Louth | JEWELLERY, HOME & GIFT | Orla Barry Art | F8/F9 |
Louth | HOME & GIFT | Finca Skin Organics | F8/F9 |
Louth | HOME & GIFT | Duinn Designs | F8/F9 |
Form the County of Mayo
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Mayo | HOME & GIFT | Celtic Slang | F26 |
Mayo | HOME & GIFT | The Mood Designs | F27 |
Mayo | HOME & GIFT | Rainbow Stained Glass | F28 |
Mayo | HOME & GIFT | Padraig McCaul Images | F29 |
From the County of Meath
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Meath | HOME & GIFT | Big Red Kitchen | F16 |
Meath | HOME & GIFT | Noreen Walshe Art & Photography | F17 |
Meath | HOME & GIFT | Soilse Candles | F18 |
Meath | HOME & GIFT | Colette Gough Craft | F19 |
From the County of Monaghan
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Monaghan | HOME & GIFT | Cooper Handcrafted Furniture | F91 |
Monaghan | HOME & GIFT | Painted Clans | F92 |
From the County of Offaly
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Offaly | HOME & GIFT | Mojo Creations | F61 |
Offaly | FASHION | Rita Daly Designs | F63 |
From the County of Roscommon
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Roscommon | HOME & GIFT | Naomh Padraig Handcrafts | F47 |
Roscommon | HOME & GIFT | Vera Gaffney | F73 |
Roscommon | HOME & GIFT | Ogham Wishes & Bog Buddies | F72 |
From the County of Sligo
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Sligo | HOME & GIFT | Nature Saponified | F45 |
Sligo | HOME & GIFT | Colm Brennan Woodturner | F46 |
Sligo | HOME & GIFT | Katie + Maud | F46 |
Sligo | HOME & GIFT | Ian Carty Ceramics | F43 |
From the County of Tipperary
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Tipperary | HOME & GIFT | Jane Ryan Fashion Illustration | F30 |
Tipperary | HOME & GIFT | Johnny McCarthy Woodturning | F31 |
Tipperary | HOME & GIFT | Deborah Hickey Ceramics | F32 |
From the County of Westmeath
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Westmeath | JEWELLERY | MW Jewellery | F55 |
Westmeath | HOME & GIFT | Jeanette Everson Handmade Ceramics | F56 |
From the County of Wexford
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Wexford | HOME & GIFT | Pauline Quigley | F38 |
Wexford | FASHION | Kymaia | F39 |
Wexford | FASHION & JEWELLERY | Liwu Jewellery | F40 |
From the County of Wicklow
Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority | Category | Exhibitor Name | Stand N° |
Wicklow | HOME & GIFT | The Crafty Bird | F51 |
Wicklow | JEWELLERY | Amoc Jewellery | F52 |
Wicklow | HOME & GIFT | Hairy Fruit Art | F53 |
Wicklow | HOME & GIFT | Geraldine Leonard | F54 |
