Kilkenny, home to the Design & Craft Council headquarters and Grennan Mill Craft School, has long been recognised as the centre of Ireland’s design and craft sector, with international lifestyle brand Kilkenny Design having established itself right in the heart of the city over 50 years ago.

Kilkenny’s flourishing creative scene has led to some world-leading creative companies setting up their operations here. Cartoon Saloon, the company behind Oscar-nominated ‘Song of the Sea’ ,‘The Secret of Kells’ and ‘The Breadwinner’  is just one of many such companies to base themselves in Kilkenny.

Most recently, Cartoon Saloon teamed up with Canadian animators Mercury Filmworks to create Lighthouse Studios, a new animation studio in the city aimed at transforming Kilkenny into a centre of excellence in animation.

Kilkenny, the creative heart of Ireland, is a thriving centre for artisan craft production where you will find every bespoke product imaginable across a wide range of craft disciplines.