{"id":619655,"date":"2026-09-09T20:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T20:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/619655\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T20:34:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T20:34:16","slug":"irelands-top-makers-crafters-and-designers-for-2026-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/619655\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland’s top makers, crafters and designers for 2026 revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ireland’s top crafters, makers, and designers were celebrated today at the Future Makers 2026 Awards at Trinity College Dublin, hosted by Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI).<\/p>\n

Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories, the Awards cover a wide range of disciplines and offer each winner a mentoring package valued at \u20ac1,000.<\/p>\n

This year’s competition saw an exceptional lineup of talent from across the country, with shortlisted entries spanning furniture to fashion design and ceramics to glassblowing.<\/p>\n

The Future Makers Awards were judged by an expert panel featuring Standing Ground couturier Michael Stewart; curator Julia Ravenscroft; performance artist Leah Capaldi; textile artist Brankica Zilovic, and master potter Jack Doherty.<\/p>\n

\"Model
\nModel wearing a tweed jacket by Ailbhe Beatty and medallions from Cro\u00ed Meala by Catreeney Harkin.<\/p>\n

In the end, the initiative named Donegal jewellery maker and goldsmith Catreeney Harkin as the 2026 Overall Emerging Maker Winner, and Wicklow textile maker, Ailbhe Beatty, as the Sustainable Design winner in the Emerging Maker category.<\/p>\n

In the Student & Recent Graduate category, fashion designer Roberts Zujans from Limerick was named the Overall Winner, while Camille O’Connell, a textile maker from Waterford, won the Sustainable Design Award in the same category.<\/p>\n

\"Thais
\nThais wears ‘Tall Ship’ dress by Daniel Fahy and Beak Choker by Kate Murphy. Ciara wears Skele Corset dress by Daniel Fahy, Sable earrings and Singlet Claw ring by Kate Murphy.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the ceremony honoured the legacy of filmmaker David Shaw-Smith, whose Hands documentary series captured the skill, heritage, and spirit of Irish craftspeople, through The David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award.<\/p>\n

The recipient was chosen by curator Mary Gallagher, stained-glass artist Peter Young, and painter and printmaker Daniel Shaw-Smith.<\/p>\n

The prestigious award, which supports master craftspeople in the later stages of their careers, was awarded to Jane Murtagh, an artist metalsmith from Co. Clare.<\/p>\n

In addition to this, the five shortlisted makers will each receive \u20ac2,000 in project support funding.<\/p>\n

\"Ciara
\nCiara wears Skele Corset dress by Daniel Fahy, Sable earrings and Singlet Claw ring by Kate Murphy..<\/p>\n

Future Makers Award Emerging Maker Winners:<\/p>\n

Sustainable Design Award Winner in Emerging Maker Category + Winner \u2013 Studio Support: Ailbhe Beatty, Textile Making, Co. Wexford<\/p>\n

Overall Emerging Maker winner + Winner \u2013 Travel and Training: Catreeney Harkin, Jewellery Making\/ Goldsmithing, Co. Donegal<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Travel and Training: Ashley Shak-Penn, Textile Making, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Studio Support: Ciar\u00e1n Gell, Furniture Making, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Exhibition Support: Clodagh Molloy, Jewellery Making, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Travel and Training: Eva Lynch, Silversmithing \/ Hollowware, Co. Wicklow<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Exhibition Support: Hannah McGrenera, Jewellery Making\/ Goldsmithing. Co. Cork<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Studio Support: Marta Ozog, Ceramics, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Studio Support: Vinh Truong, Ceramics, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

\"Thais
\nThais wearing a burgundy cropped jacket, black corset and an ombr\u00e9 latex skirt by Alex Lambe. Jewellery is black wooden heart brooch by Clodagh Molloy and necklace by Chloe Van Beck Courser.<\/p>\n

Future Makers Award Student & Recent Graduate Winners:<\/p>\n

Sustainable Design Award Winner in the Student & Recent Graduate Category: Camille O’Connell, Textile Making, Co. Waterford<\/p>\n

Overall Student and Recent Graduate Winner + Winner \u2013 Materials: Roberts Zujans, Fashion Design, Co. Limerick<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Professional Development: Alex Lambe, Fashion Design, Co. Meath<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Travel and Training: Anna Cali, Fashion Design, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Travel and Training: Filip Hrubec, Furniture Making, Co. Galway<\/p>\n

Winner – Professional Development: Axel Jordan Nieto Calvino, Furniture Making, Co. Galway<\/p>\n

Winner – Travel and Training: Daniel Fahy, Fashion Design, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner – Travel and Training: Eimear Malone, Jewellery Making\/ Goldsmithing, Co. Carlow<\/p>\n

Winner – Materials: Eoghan Prunty, Furniture Making, Co. Wicklow<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Materials: Eoin Dalton, Furniture Making, Co. Clare<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Materials: Evan O’Toole, Fashion Design, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Professional Development: Isabel Robinson, Furniture Making, Co. Kilkenny<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Materials: Kate Murphy, Jewellery Making\/ Goldsmithing, Co. Galway<\/p>\n

Winner \u2013 Materials: Patrick Orr, Furniture Making, Co. Dublin<\/p>\n

\"Thais
\nThais wears ‘Tall Ship’ dress by Daniel Fahy and Beak Choker by Kate Murphy.<\/p>\n

David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award Winners:<\/p>\n

Overall winner: Jane Murtagh, Metalwork, Co. Clare<\/p>\n

Recipient of project support funding: Bernadette Tuite, Ceramics, Co. Cork<\/p>\n

Recipient of project support funding: Shane Holland, Multi-media Sculpture, Co. Meath<\/p>\n

Recipient of project support funding: Martha Quinn, Stone Sculpture, Co. Sligo<\/p>\n

Recipient of project support funding: Stevan Hartung, Furniture Making, Co. Wicklow<\/p>\n

Recipient of project support funding: Michael Andrew Ray, Glass \/ Ceramics, Co. Cork<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ireland’s top crafters, makers, and designers were celebrated today at the Future Makers 2026 Awards at Trinity College…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":619656,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[93,61,60],"class_list":["post-619655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}