A NEW marketplace for Irish crafts has helped turn redundancy into a new career in business for versatile Co Armagh woman Sinead McMahon.
Having established Danann Crafts in Lurgan a few years ago, the former kitchen designer now has plans to extend her business into Portadown, further widening the scope for up-and-coming artists and craftspeople who don't have the cash to splash on their own gallery space.
With a background in the arts herself, the former Ulster University graduate - she studied technology and design - knows the importance of gaining a foothold in the industry and by offering collective retail space alongside a workshop area, she believes artists from various disciplines can benefit creatively - as well as financially.
"We have three resident crafters and several others come in and use the workshop space to hold small crafting groups so there's always something going on," said Sinead, who has also set up a free online marketplace for artists advertising their various skills.
"Coinciding with August Craft Month, our next event is a blacksmith demonstration on August 15, as interest in traditional crafts run very deep in Co Armagh.
"Alongside contemporary arts such as silversmithing and furniture-making, there is a growing interest in time-honoured skills such as blacksmithing and basket weaving. It is great to keep these traditional crafts alive in a modern way."
All Danann crafters live and work in Ireland, with the company ethos centred around the promotion of quality Irish crafts worldwide, whether or not they come from the hands of amateurs or professionals.
"We have three resident crafters stationed in our shop in William Street and we also have a pop-up gallery space and workshop space to give others a chance to promote and teach their skills," Sinead said.
"The aim is to change people's mindsets on the craft industry and to promote bespoke Irish 'treasures' to the masses."
Named after an ancient Celtic tribe - Tuatha de Dananns - who settled in Ireland, the business boasts a strong online presence, thanks mostly to Sinead's husband Peadar, a software developer who helped set up the website.
"The Tuatha were said to bring four treasures with them to aid with their settlement: stone, spear, sword and cauldron - and these continue to inspire much of modern Irish crafting today," Sinead added.
Upcoming fairs showcasing Danann designs are scheduled to take place in Lurgan Town Hall on September 5, October 3 and November 5.
More information available at
[ www.dananncrafts.comOpens in new window ]
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