Craft Education in Ireland

This Chapter was commissioned by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) for the publication that accompanied the exhibition and series of events designed to mark its fiftieth anniversary in 2021-22. This included the "50 Years: 50 Makers" exhibition and "Irish Craft Heroes" events throughout Ireland. DCCI commented that this landmark exhibition and publication “will celebrate the huge role our makers and designers have played in Ireland’s cultural evolution over the past half a century. This [50 year] period has overseen the greatest societal changes the country has known and we have seen massive changes in the crafts and design sector, which has evolved to become a major player on the global design stage, enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a creative society and economy. The DCCI has been central to this evolution, supporting makers and designers, stimulating innovation, championing design thinking and informing government policy to nurture, develop and grow the sector, which now employs just under 50,000 people and contributes over €37 billion to the economy." The book encompasses 6 specially commissioned essays by leading writers. My Chapter considers the role of the crafts in design education in Ireland since 1971 in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.