Design & Crafts Council Ireland Irish Craft Village returns to Bloom 2024

Thursday, 30^th May 2024: Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) Irish Craft Village returns to Bord Bia Bloom this year. It takes place from Thursday, 30^th May to Monday, 3^rd June in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Celebrating its 18^th year this summer, Bloom is one of the nation’s favourite summer events, and DCCI designers, makers and craftspeople are preparing to sell their work to over 100,000 visitors over the five days. DCCI’s Irish Craft Village, situated in the heart of Bloom, will host 42 Irish craft retail stands from textiles and printing to woodturning and glass blowing. Last year, 33% of visitors to Bord Bia’s Bloom festival went specifically to visit the DCCI Craft Village.

DCCI Irish Craft Village will feature a range of workshops, demonstrations, and gifting opportunities encouraging consumers to shop Made Local this summer. The workshops will be hosted by various associations, guilds and societies that will demonstrate Irish traditional crafts that have remained vibrant through their contemporary application. The sales stands in the Village will tantalise visitors with the beautiful and unique pieces by the 42 Made Local makers there. Made Local highlights the originality, quality, sustainability, and value of Irish designed and craft-made products and champions design across Ireland. Over 1,400 makers and products can be found on the directory at MadeLocal.ie. This year’s DCCI Irish Craft Village exhibitors have been chosen from a range of counties and disciplines, each bringing unique, and quality led designs and products to the weekend. The 42 craft makers were selected out of 114 applications and 38% of participants are new to the DCCI Irish Craft Village.

Rosemary Steen, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland said: “Bord Bia Bloom is a key event for Design & Crafts Council Ireland and its members. It forms part of our national programme of events to make Irish design and craft accessible to existing and to new and diverse audiences. One of the key pillars in DCCI’s strategic five-year plan is to target capacity for growth and drive commercial success for the sector. Approximately €180,000 in sales took place at the DCCI Irish Craft Village at Bloom last year. This year, we are delighted to have been able to acquire more space from our wonderful hosts – Bord Bia – and to nearly double the number of makers we are supporting, to 42. All 42 craftspeople are also part of our Made Local campaign which places a focus on the importance of local made products. We look forward to another successful year at the DCCI Irish Craft Village at Bloom.”

Adding to this, Yvonne Thunder of SKIN Ireland, said: “SKIN is thrilled and proud to be one of the 42 design and craft makers exhibiting in the DCCI Irish Craft Village at Bloom this year. This unique area in Bloom supports and illustrates the wide variety of quality handmade products available across our island. For a young small business, it is a wonderful opportunity to reach a wide audience attending Bloom and meet and chat with other makers. We are launching our first product at Bloom – Luxurious Whipped Body Butter available in any of the below fragrances: Lavender, Verbena, Rose Geranium, Eucalyptus or Unscented (no essential oil)”.

Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom and Brand Partnership said, “A ticket to Bloom promises a great day out whether coming with friends, a partner or family. With our beautiful show gardens, live entertainment, fantastic selection of food and drink, some of Ireland’s most respected makers, and five stages jam packed with talks and demos, there is simply no other festival like Bloom in Ireland. We are thrilled to welcome back some of Ireland’s most respected makers to the Design and Crafts Council Craft Village, which always proves a popular feature with attendees of all ages.”

For those that love to shop there is plenty to choose from in the DCCI Irish Craft Village with brands such as Jerpoint Glass Studio, SIOG Botanicals, Thin Line and My Mini Munch, all showcasing and selling their pieces. Each of the 42 brands featured in this area create stunning products that will be sure to tempt and inspire. A full list of exhibitors can be seen below.

ENDS