John Lockett on tue 8 apr 97
In message you recently said:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
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> Here is a list of potteries in Ireland that I got from a Gaelic list. Hope
> this is of some help.
Quite a coincidence this thread appearing as it did.
I've just returned from a visit to Ireland. We spent most of the time
in County Kerry (marvellous walking country, knockout scenery, great
people) with just a couple of days in Dublin.
During the time in Kerry I did manage to fit in visits to a few
potteries, one or two are mentioned in the list.
Louis Mulcahey's studio is stupendous, pots of all sizes with glazes
I'd give my right arm for. There was a terrific wine carafe with matching
goblets that I would have dearly loved to take home with me but I
simply hadn't room in my (airline) luggage so I settled for a lovely
little pot with a blue speckled glaze. It was difficult to make a choice.
There was so much there that appealed to me. When you see the view
from the pottery I think anyone would be inspired to make pots as
great as these.
Fuchsia Cottage in Caherciveen on the Ring of Kerry route is owned
by Dave Marriott and his wife. She produces (mainly) animal sculptures
while Dave is into Raku handbuilt forms. They often use a stoneware
clay called Ivanhoe from Potclays of Stoke on Trent which fires
to a lovely warm toasted colour. Although I get most of my clay from
Potclays I have never used Ivanhoe and it shows you what a great guy
David is when he offered to give me a bag to try. Regretfully because
I thought Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, might have complained if I
checked in with a 12.5 kilo bag of clay as hand luggage,I had to
refuse his kind offer :-(
We also popped into Annascaul Pottery in Annascaul on the Dingle
Peninsular. We had a good chat with everyone there and looked at
their range of earthenware pottery. There was an interesting
glaze combination using copper oxide and antimony. Not sure about
the safety aspects of this though. Some nice wax resist decoration
too.
After a eight to ten mile walk up the Gap of Dunloe and back one day
we found a little pottery called Cloon Pottery run by Mary O'Shea.
She, like all the other potters we met, was keen to talk about the
work and share experiences. Her work is mainly hand thrown stoneware
although there were some very attractive plaques, using Ivanhoe again,
I really must try it.
We wish we had had more time to find other potteries to visit. We
really did have a great time and certainly will go back to Ireland.
We did however find time in Dublin to visit the Museum and look at
the prehistoric pots. Wow!.
Also we found a shop in Dublin called the Kilkenny shop which had
ware from many of Irelands leading potters, including Louis Mulcahey.
So if any one is in Dublin it's certainly worth a visit.
--
John Lockett
Here in Birmingham U.K.
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