November 01, 2023

WATCH: Handcrafting Irish pottery along the Slea Head Drive, Co Kerry

Visit the Louis Mulcahy Pottery studio during your Irish road trip around the Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula, Kerry.

When Louis Mulcahy won first prize for pottery in the National Crafts Competition in 1975, he decided to move his workshop from Dublin to Dingle in Co Kerry. 

His vision was to produce the aesthetically and technically best pottery and to develop a studio/workshop that would leave a long-lasting legacy on the history of Irish handcraft.

Today, Louis and his team have been creating award-winning pottery for over forty years in their studio on the Slea Head Drive, one of Ireland’s most scenic routes. The drive takes you on a journey through historic sites, Irish speaking villages, and famous Hollywood film locations with close up views of the world renowned Blasket Islands.

Along the way you will pass Lous Mulcahy's workshop, here visitors will find thousands of exquisite pieces inspired by the picturesque surroundings of the Dingle Peninsula, from large vases, urns, bowls, lamps, masks, and even druid figures.

Unlike many modern potters, Louis Mulcahy does not buy readymade glazes but makes his own glazes from natural silica, fluxes, and coloring minerals. His clay bodies are blended from stoneware and porcelain clays of the highest quality. His handmade pottery is recognized for its durability and unusually long life span.

In 2004, Louis Mulcahy became the first Irish craftsman to receive an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland in recognition of his artistry and the prosperity it has brought to his community.

In 2014, The Craft Council of Ireland described him as "the godfather of Irish craft".

Find out more information about Louis Mulcahy Pottery here.