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im going to have a few days around a conference in dublin, and would love to meet artists, check out studios, galleries or museums while i am there. i'll be in dublin, but could rent a car or hop a train and head out wherever. anyone on the list here from ireland? any suggestions on museums/galleries not to miss?

thanks in advance!

--travis

temple bar section of dublin has lots of galleries besides great bars and if you rent a car, go to waterford, pretty cool

Second the waterford part. I will have to do some homework, but close to the ring of Kerry I found a Hot glass artist that used old green coke bottles for his batch or cullet. Everything he does is green, but that is ok since you are in Ireland. There also is another place, south of Dublin, before waterford that makes cut crystal. It is in a little arts community. I think these people left Waterford and started their own place. Let me know if you think that you will be able to leave dublin and go to other places besides waterford and I will look this info up.

Stuart

It may be stained glass, but check out Harry Clarke on the web for more info. Irish artist born in Dublin turn of last century. Amazing effects with acid etching frequently compared with Aubrey Beardsley in style but way better.

Check out the Pangur Bawn crafts website http://www.pangurbawn.com
They advertise as stained glass suppliers but do have lots of fused glass supplies and also offer classes. It might be worth contacting them as they are based in Dublin and they may be able to suggest galleries, studios etc.

Sue

thanks for all the suggestions!

stuart, i think i heard something about that guy that uses the green bottles too, can't seem to find anything on him though. i'll ask around when i get there, or maybe email pangur brown.

i've seen a site for abbie dixon in belfast too.

the little mini-waterford type place sounds cool too, i'd love a pointer to info on that if you have it.

i'll check out all these leads, and see as much as i can (will definitely be in the temple bar area for a wee bit ;)

thanks again,

--travis

Travis, try to get to Trinity College and check out the Book of Kells. There are some Harry Clarke at Bewley's (sp?) Cafe. Also at St. Mary's I think. The National Museum of Ireland is awesome. The gold and Viking exhibits are amazing.
For fun stuff, The Comedy Improv above the International is hysterical. Have a Guinness at the Brazen Head (1072 A.D.) and if you see the Bachelor's Pub say hi to Willie the barman upstairs.
Oh, and if you get a chance, go to Glendalough ( by car or bus), not too far from Dublin, it's a beautiful amazing walk. I think we went off to the left. There were the ruins of St. Saviors church back there off the beaten path.
La Cave is a great restaurant if it's still there. It's in the no car section of town.
Too much to do in a few days. I'm jealous! Have a Guinness for us!

There is a crafts council with branches in Dublin and Kilkenny. In Kilkenny there were a few studios/galleries to talk thru for all type of crafts. Near Kilkenny (which has a nice castle also) is Jerpoint Crystal. There is an outlet in town and they can give you directions and a brouchure about the factory. I enjoyed the town. Did not go to the factory since south of that is Waterford and we were heading there.
If you want to get ripped off then go to Blarney Castle and kiss the stone. The "Stone" is part of the castle. You walk up the steps to the top. On the top is a walk way around the top of the castle. Every few years there is an opening for the water to run out. On the far side there wil be a gentleman sitting there waiting for tourist. He will help you to lay on your back.. slide out over the opening and bend your back and head down so that you can kill the bottom stone of the wall before the opening. GREAT MARKETING..... The Blarney Mills, and they are a few around the county, does make nice knits and woven pieces and if you can find one of the discount outlets the prices are great. One night we stayed in Killarney, a town near the ring of Kerry. We had a little while to kill before we went to dinner and we found this outlet mall. This I was told was where the locals shopped. It definately was not on the tourist route. Found some nice sweaters ect make locally. The glass blower was north of Killarney about 20 minutes. Then if you go north from there and get to Galway you will find the Gallway crystal company.

I will try and find his name and address. It might take me a day or so. Have a great trip.

is that a guinness for each of you? how many members on the board? ;)

we actually have a private showing of the book of kells with the conference one night, very cool! especially since much of my glass work involved celtic themes.

i'll take a printout of all these suggestions, and see what i can squeeze in :)

--travis

I met him at Northlands Creative Glass - has many classes etc.
email:
theglasstudioireland@o2.co.uk
his name is Karl

There is one college w/ glass classes and The Glass Society of Ireland but I can't find it on the web. I found it about a month ago. Also one thing that I think would be interesting is http://www.crystallotus.co.uk/ my friend, alva, just took a class from him and said it was great. Plus, I suspect there is some good food to be had there! Also you can see if any of this interests you http://www.stainedglassnews.co.uk/studiosIRELAND.htm. Have a great time.

There's a church in Dingle with Harry Clarke stained glass which is absolutely beautiful! I don't remember the name of the church, but Dingle's small enough to find it easily enough. Also, there's a very large fused/cast glass panel in a museum about the Blaskett Islands out on the tip of the Dingle Penninsula that's worth taking a peak at. There was a small fused glass studio in Limerick a couple of years ago when I was last there, it might still be there. It was in a building with other art studios that the government had funded, in downtown Limerick just off O'Connell Street. They had a large kiln and were just learning how to use it, but it had a lot of promise. Sorry I can't give better directions for these places, but they'd all be easy to find. Have fun! Do drink Guinness and don't go to the Blarney Stone ! I wonder what the pubs smell like now that there's no smoking in them.....Kate

i love the dingle peninsula, my wife and i went biking around there for a while a few years back. i don't think i saw that church though, as we didn't spend much time in dingle proper. i'm not sure i'll make it out that way this trip, but i'm sure someday i will :)

it will be interesting to see what the nonsmoking pubs are like... will be strange to be able to breathe properly. i think i'm up to 37 pints i'm supposed to drink for various friends, might be a long trip... ;)

--travis

Well if all that guiness starts getting dull, have a Murphy's for me.

Hello Travis,
I live in Belfast and if you're heading this way, do call in.
I am a complete novice to warm glass, having worked for the last 12 years in copper foil and leaded windows, but at least you could have a laugh or two at my disasters.
However, I share the premises with Eamon Maguire, who is a bog oak sculptor, bodhran maker (Irish drum) and artist, and his two daughters, Eimear and Aoife, who have graduated from Art College in the last few years.
If you want to hear about Dolmans and standing stones and suttereans (if that's the correct spelling) then make time for a visit. Eamon is passionate about Ireland's natural heritage and is a wealth of information, just ignore the odd (numerous!!) expletives.
My address is: Ogham Gallery 497 Antrim Rd Belfast BT15 3BP
Tel: 028 90 772580