9 great craft experiences in Ireland

The beautiful countryside of Ireland has been an inspiration for artists as diverse as Paul Henry and Daniel O’Neill, so if you want to stir your creative juices, it might be time to pick up a paintbrush. Set in a warm and cosy studio on The Gobbins clifftop, Audrey Kyle’s Économusée Workshop Experience offers the perfect place to learn some watercolour techniques while being surrounded by the dramatic Antrim coastline. Classes are small and one-to-one attention is guaranteed over the three-hour class.

The beautiful county of Wicklow on Ireland’s east coast is frequently referred to as the “garden of Ireland”. Lush valleys, heather-covered hills and brooding mountains typify a landscape that has attracted everyone from filmmakers to musicians. So where better to enjoy a little bit of artistic inspiration than at a scenic farm near the village of Newtownmountkennedy in the heart of the county? Windrush Farm runs Art in the Wild workshops with an artist and an ecologist, which involves wandering through a gorgeous nature reserve to gather materials followed by a workshop in which you can make an eco-friendly journal, a leaf-printed bag, and charcoal from willow. The perfect mix of culture and nature.

Ireland has a long history of crafting exquisite jewellery, and a visit to the Ór – Ireland’s Gold collection at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street in Dublin will tell you all you need to know about our jewellery-making skills. If all that beauty inspires you, then a jewellery-making course might be in order. Small class sizes are a key to success and the jewellery-making workshops for beginners run by Lina Varna in Wexford town are ideal. With just three students, the hands-on attention is ideal and you can either pick a piece of jewellery from the gorgeous jewellery designs created by Lina, or make your own design.