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National Design & Craft Gallery

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Kilkenny's best-kept cultural secret, showing some of the most exciting contemporary craft and desig

20/10/2026

In the Making Artefacts. Studio tools and process objects.

You can view these glass making tools, as part of our current exhibition 'Of Sand & Ash' here at the National Design & Craft Gallery. Highlighting the skills and works of members of the Glass Society of Ireland.

The exhibition ends this saturday at 5.30pm, so don't miss your chance to see it before it goes.

19/10/2026

Strike by Margaret Mohally.

You can see Margerets work here at the National Design & Craft Gallery, as part of our current exhibition Of Sand & Ash.

The work combines cast glass with rusted metal, the glass contrasts with the aged metal, showing how different materials can hold traces of history and making. The forms suggest decay and renewal.

The work connects to Of Sand and Ash through its focus on glass as a material shaped by sand, heat, and process. It explores ideas of place, memory, and transformation, while bringing together traditional craft with a contemporary design. Using reclaimed materials alongside glass, the sculpture reflects how objects can be reshaped a new form.

17/10/2026

Threads of Light by glass artist Geraldine Gleeson.

Threads of light explores the relationship between glass, textiles, and structure. The work is constructed from hand-pulled glass threads, each approximately 2 mm in diameter, created through lampworking by drawing fine strands from a molten gather of glass. These individual stringers were carefully arranged in an interwoven grid and kiln-fused to form a cohesive sheet that mimics the qualities of woven fabric. The piece was initially fused flat and then slumped over a custom-made mold, introducing subtle movement and a gentle distortion of the geometric pattern. Predominantly blue tones evoke water, atmosphere, and shifting light, while accents of yellow, white, and red create points of rhythm and contrast. Inspired by weaving traditions and the tension between rigidity and fluidity, the work transforms a fragile linear element into a unified form, inviting viewers to consider the connections between material, process, and pattern.

You can see this beautiful work as part of the Of Sand & Ash exhibition. Currently on show here at the National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny.

15/10/2026

Kathryna Cuschieri & Simon Robinson, pictured here with their collaborative piece 'Tensegrity 39'.

"At the start of this powerful collaboration, Simon and I were deeply troubled by a violent incident in Dublin that fuelled anti-immigration sentiment. In response, we wanted to celebrate the contributions of settled immigrant communities to national life. We chose glass and steel to tell that story of connection and belonging.

We designed a sculpture based on Buckminster Fuller’s concept of tensegrity, reflecting themes of tension, balance, and connection. Simon’s photographs of immigrant’s local premises are fused onto delicate glass panels, once sand and ash, now strong yet fragile. Thirty house shaped glass panels are hung with marine-grade batons and wires in a high-tension stainless-steel framework that supports and protects.

Tensegrity 39 sculpture incorporates sound and light sensors that on approach trigger a multilingual susurrus that highlights Ireland’s long history of emigration and immigration, encouraging empathy and cultural understanding, to pause, listen, and see the shared humanity in one another." - Kathryna

You can see this powerful piece here at the National Design & Craft Gallery, as part of current exhibition Of Sand & Ash.

The exhibition runs until the 24th October.

14/10/2026

Of Sand & Ash, continues it's visitor pleasing run here at the National Design & Craft Gallery.

The exhibition features over 65 Glass Society of lreland members works. It represents a coming together of tradition, innovation and national talent, showcasing the relevance of glass making in contemporary Ireland.

If you haven't already seen this exhibition, it is well worth a visit.

It runs here at NDCG until the 24th Oct.

10/10/2026

Alexandra Mezo shown here with her works:

Summer Landscape
and
Autumn Landscape

"For me glass is like a miracle in which I can immerse myself and marvel at again and again every day. In my works I aim to convey this wonder by utilising various techniques, including the way the tiny details play with the light. I am mainly using casting technique and using the knitted, crochet designs created by my grandmother, which makes the creation of these works even more special and enjoyable for me.I am not using duplicate moulds; thus all my works are completely unique and each piece is carefully sanded and polished by hand."- Alexandra

You can see Alexandras works as part of our current exhibition Of Sand & Ash, which is showing here at the National Design & Craft Gallery until the 24th Oct.

08/10/2026

Exhibiting here with us as part of the Of Sand & Ash exhibition, is Trish Goodbody. Pictured her with her works, Trish is one of many talented members of the Glass Society of Ireland, currently showing here at the National Design & Craft Gallery.

Of Sand & Ash presents various glass techniques: Hot glass, Kiln-formed glass, Cast glass, Fused glass, Cut, Carved & Engraved glass, Mosaic and Stained glass.

The exhibition runs until the 24th Oct.

06/10/2026

Helen Hancock alongside her work in the Of Sand & Ash exhibition.

Helen is one of over 60 members of the Glass Society of Ireland, currently exhibiting with us here at the National Design & Craft Gallery.

The exhibition runs until the 24th Oct and is well worth a visit.

03/10/2026

Emer O'Donnell pictured here with her works in the Of Sand & Ash exhibition, which is currently showing here at the National Design & Craft Gallery. Her work explores Irish heritage and our environment.

You can see Emers beautiful works as part of our current exhibition, which runs here at NDCG until the 24th October.

01/10/2026

Glass artist Natasha Duddy, pictured here at the National Design & Craft Gallery with her work in our current exhibition Of Sand & Ash.

Natashas fused glass practice is inspired by the dramatic coastlines of Ireland, where the movement of the sea drives her creative process. Captivated by the changing patterns of water, the interplay of light on the ocean's surface and the rhythmic forces of the tide, she uses kiln-formed glass to capture fleeting moments and translate them into permanent tactile forms.

Natasha is one of over sixty members of the Glass Society of Ireland, whose works are on show here at NDCG until the 24th October.

Address

Castle Yard
Kilkenny
R95DCX2

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 5:30pm
Thursday	10am - 5:30pm
Friday	10am - 5:30pm
Saturday	10am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+353830908264

Website

http://www.ndcg.ie/

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