Tag: Kildare Town

News: Makers Pop-Up Opens in Kildare Town – O Lamha

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Via Feltmakers Ireland guild member Tamzen Lundy:

We invite you to the evening launch of the new pop-up store. A collective of Eleven Kildare-based Artists, Makers, Designers, and Businesses under the name “Ó Lámha” (from the hand) has taken on the unit for the summer season.

Kindly supported by @leokildare and @kildarecountycouncil

We are opening as part of the Kildare town’s Derby Festival, reviving this unit with the aim of making this space a permanent feature that supports the work of locally based makers, with a specific focus on the creative community.

“Ó Lámha” is a collective of local makers and designers, offering a variety of beautiful handmade products, including cards, prints, silk scarves, woodwork, and jewellery.

WHERE: The old Southwells grocery store, on Kildare Town Market Square, right beside Hartes’ gastropub and a 10-minute walk from Kildare village.

WHEN: Grand Opening Thursday, 27th, 5PM—light refreshments and an evening shopping experience, plus a chance to meet the makers themselves.

GENERAL OPENING TIMES: Thursday- Sunday, 10 AM-5 PM.

We’d love to have you, please help us spread the word about this new venture. 

They say it “takes a village… actually, we think it takes a town- Kildare town!”

Come, support local, shop local, made local.

For more information, see their Instagram page – https://www.instagram.com/olamhakildare


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Review: St Brigid’s Cloaks- Brigid 1500 – Kildare Town

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

All photographs are by Breda Fay, except for the Cathedral window by Tamzen Lundy.

Written by Feltmakers Ireland guild member Breda Fay

I took a trip to nearby Kildare town on Saturday, the 27th of January, to visit the launch of the Brigid’s Cloaks exhibition. I love “launches” as they usually provide an opportunity to talk to the artist and I was not disappointed here.

It was a pleasure to meet the manager/director of this project, Lorna McCormack, of the Wool in School programme. From my days [as an educator] “at the chalkface” I have been impressed with the ethos of this school programme, aligned closely with local culture and heritage and Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Lorna introduced me to lead Artist Michelle Hickey Legge, who described the works. The focus was on using locally sourced Irish wool and sustainable resources. Four stunning St Brigid’s Cloaks were crafted “with an all-encompassing approach to wool heritage and art”, Lorna explained. “With a focus on an all-island approach involving many generations, people across Ireland came together and immersed themselves in heritage crafts and community connections”. Lorna had some amusing stories about how the children chose the placement of their work. She also pointed out some interesting features I might have missed: a knitted piece from one of Seamus Heaney’s aran jumpers featured; one of the cloaks had Brigid Cross motifs included.

A total of 925 were involved, including 250 local school children from the town of Kildare who made pompoms, covered CDs, pieces of wool lace and knitting, each placed onto a cloak.

St Brigid’s Cloaks is a community artwork developed by Wool in School in association with Creative Ireland and Kildare County Council. The exhibition runs until April and will tour the country afterwards.

Where: St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare Town.

When: through April 2024, with the cloaks then touring the country.

There is a short video on Instagram of the installation of the show- https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2zPBxII-tH/?igsh=azMxNWJodzlhdWI4

For more information, visit the Wool in School website – https://woolinschool.com/

Editor’s note: Thank you so much, Breda, for sharing your visit to the launch of St Brigid’s Cloaks in the Cathedral in Kildare Town. We love having articles by our community members. If you are a guild member and have an interesting textile event to share, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com