Meath exhibitors at Design and Crafts Creative Expo in RDS this month

Ireland’s International Creative Expo returns to the RDS, Dublin from Sunday 22nd January to Tuesday 24th January, with over 365 exhibitors and more than 3,000 visitors from Ireland and overseas expected to attend.

Leinster designers and makers exhibiting at Showcase include Torc Candles from Carlow, Roisin Linnane from Kildare, Jerpoint Glass Studio from Kilkenny, Edyta ART from Laois, Sonas Aromas from Longford, Caroline Duffy Designs from Louth, MAR Fragrances from Meath, Heart On My Sleeve from Offaly, First Choice Wardrobes from Westmeath, Ann Makes Books from Wexford and Copperfish from Wicklow. Leinster business taking part in Showcase for the first time this year include Be Kind Industries from Wicklow and Due South Clothing from Wexford.

Showcase was founded in 1976 by Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and is delivered with support from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. It generates over €20 million of sales orders during the show. At Showcase 2022, over 300 Irish designers, manufacturers, and craftspeople from all over Ireland unveiled their latest collections. Thousands of buyers from 24 countries across four continents attended in person, and many more visited through the digital platform Showcase Connect.

Showcase 2023 will see a continuation of successful features launched at Showcase 2022 including the Talks Stage hosting industry talks and panel discussions; and The Edit, a curated selection of exquisite products exhibited at the show. The annual Showcase Awards will take place on Sunday 22nd January, and on Tuesday 24th, the Design & Crafts Council Ireland Academy will be launched.

Launched in 2022, Showcase Connect, the online platform listing exhibitors and products enabling buyers to browse, connect and book meetings with exhibitors online or at the show has become even more useful. This year it includes an interactive floor plan tool to enhance the on-site experience.

Showcase is an annual destination for retail buyers from Ireland and more than 20 other countries, including the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia and Mainland Europe, all keen to see the very latest designs from Ireland’s top brands and craft producers. The fair is an international launch pad for the Irish designers, manufacturers and craftspeople who unveil their new season collections across fashion, health & wellbeing, jewellery, home and giftware. Each year, a particular emphasis is placed on new products to market, providing retailers with opportunities to discover and stock up on the latest design-led products, many of which are unique to the show.

Mary Palmer, Chair of Showcase, says: “Showcase® marks one of the most important events in the design and crafts sector’s calendar. For many, this is their first trade show of the year, a chance to launch their new collections and secure orders for the year ahead. Attracting buyers from Ireland and around the world, Showcase’s strength lies in its unique identity and high-quality display of Irish design and crafts.”

Mary Blanchfield, head of operations at Design & Crafts Council Ireland said: “Now in its 48th year, Design & Crafts Council Ireland is delighted to see the return of Showcase in January 2023 at the RDS. Showcase gives designers and makers’ the opportunity to meet and do business with buyers from Ireland, the UK, North America, Mainland Europe, Asia and Middle East. With the help of the RDS, this event offers Irish makers an international platform to grow their businesses and the chance to come together to celebrate the creativity, the impact and the importance of the heritage of the Irish craft and design sector globally. We look forward to supporting our clients as well as our national, international and online visitors at the show.”

Leinster exhibitors include:

Carlow:

MC Jewellery

Torc Candles

Kildare:

Artist Clodagh Hendy

Duck Blue

Imprints & Ink

Johnny Magory Books

Kildare Candle Barn

Liffey Artefacts

Martina Shannon Design

PickledPomPom

Pure Oskar

Roisin Linnane

Sam Agus Nessa

West End Knitwear Ltd / Aran Crafts

Kilkenny:

amalka.design

Astra Trading / Kilkenny Silver

Biddys Good Luck Horse Shoes

DFM Clothing

Dominika Stoppa

Geraldine Walsh Art

Jerpoint Glass Studio

Nicholas Mosse Pottery

Tinnakeenly Leathers Ltd

Yellow Deer Designs

Meath:

Acquerello

Agency International

An Góbha

Anita Reynolds Art & Design

Brid Fanning Art

Caulfield Country Boards

Clare O Connor

Lainey K

MAR Fragrances

Marion Petherbridge Art

Noreen Walshe Art

Royal County Products

Saraden Designs Millinery Atelier

Siobhan Daly Designs

SOILSE

Westmeath:

Bambrew

Dominic O' Brien Illustrator

First Choice Wardrobes

Fox & Bell Goldsmiths

Meab Enamels

Miriam Wade Jewellery

Montgomery Lifestyle

Mullingar Pewter / Silver Spirit

Laois:

Edyta ART

Yvonne Bolger Jewellery

Wexford:

Ann Makes Books

Due South Clothing Ltd

Harte Outdoor Lighting

Local Irish Gifts

Trustwordie

Weird Watercolours

Wicklow:

Alanna Plekkenpol

Be Kind Industries

Bear Creation

Brendella Skirts

Brooke & Shoals Fragrances

Card Boutique.ie

Carrickmacross Lace

Copperfish

Eriu

Fragrances of Ireland

Irish Decal Products

Island Distribution

Kelly Hood Art & Design Studio

Real Ireland / Picture Press.ie Ltd

Offaly:

Heart On My Sleeve

Millbee Studio

Shannonbridge Pottery

Longford:

Craft Around the Clock

Sonas Aromas

Wendy Louise Designs

Louth:

Agata Eckert Jewellery Design

Branigan Weavers

Caroline Duffy Designs

Corona Silver

Cushla of Gullion

Edmund McNulty Knitwear

Esker Fields

Garrett Mallon Jewellery

Kilnew Greetings

LORE Natural Skincare

Sarah McKenna Ceramics

Sea Remedies

Sophie Hunter Design