Dingle Crystal in Co Kerry offers visitors a glimpse into their workshop to see what goes into crafting exquisite hand-cut Irish crystal.
In 1999, Sean Daly founded Dingle Crystal in the small town on the Wild Atlantic Way and today their collections of Irish crystals can be found in the homes of many families, celebrities, and dignitaries all over the world.
Most recently in March 2023, Dingle Crystal's Beehive designed Shamrock Bowl was presented to President Biden by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on behalf of the Irish people during the annual St Patrick's Day ceremony.
Sean began his career as a young apprentice in Waterford Crystal and studied for 15 years to become a master cutter. When Waterford Crystal decided to move their production overseas, Sean wanted to keep the tradition of crystal cutting alive in Ireland.
The history of Irish crystal cutting dates back to the 18th century, but of the thousands of master cutters who once crafted crystal in Ireland, there are very few remaining.
Many of the master cutters who originally worked with Sean when he was a young apprentice have passed away, and no one has replaced them because most Irish crystal companies manufacture their crystal overseas. This means that Sean is one of the last remaining master cutters in Ireland.
With six different and distinct patterns, Sean has become renowned for the quality of his work and in particular for his Celtic knots and circles. Visitors to the Dingle Crystal shop on Green Street in Dingle can view a stunning array of glassware.
If you want to learn about this incredible piece of skill, you can journey 2km outside of Dingle town to visit Sean in his workshop for a crystal cutting demonstration.
Find out more about Dingle Crystal in Co Kerry here.