Louis Mulcahy Pottery

Early Beginnings

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.

He and Lisbeth, with their three young children, left secure employment in television, sold their house and invested their savings in the then very risky venture.

His vision was to produce the aesthetically and technically best pottery and to develop a studio/workshop which would leave an indelible print on the long term history of Irish handcraft.

In this aspiration he has certainly succeeded In 2004 he 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’.

Research

For nearly fifty years Louis has spent nearly every waking moment researching materials and producing new designs.

Unlike many modern potters, he does not buy readymade glazes but makes his own glazes from natural silica, fluxes and colouring minerals. His clay bodies are blended from stoneware and porcelain clays of the highest quality.

Louis Mulcahy’s pots are by far the strongest and most durable of all handmade Pottery. They are widely recognised for their unusual long life and resistance to abuse. His tableware is guaranteed oven, microwave and dishwasher proof.

Louis continues to make all his pots at his workshop in Dingle. His work is distinctively Irish and reflects the magnificent scale and wonderful colours in the landscape of his chosen home.