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This volume contains newspaper and magazine articles and photographs about the following:
KDW Designs and Products:
- silver rose bowls designed by KDW as prizes at Gowran Park racecourse
- medallion designed by KDW for the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters Snooker tournament
- range of toilet roll and tissue dispensers designed by KDW and Nokia Ltd
- Bell and Howell range of overhead projector developed with the help of KDW and Institute for Industrial Research Standards
- the Phoenix Bowl, a trophy for the Phoenix Park races designed by KDW
- a silver medallion designed by KDW for People of the Year Awards
- trophy designed by KDW silversmith James Kelly unveiled by athlete Eamonn Coghaln at the Gerry Farnan Memorial Trophy event
- KDW to recast Oisín Kelly's Arctic Tern for the Irish Management Award
- silver medals designed by KDW for the Sunday Independent Arts Awards to honour people who have made a prominent contribution to the arts during the past year
- KDW commissioned to design Kilkenny Engineering Products' trailer
- the KDW designed P and T (Department of Post and Telegraphs) logo to be replaced with the start of An Post, a new postal system for Ireland
KDW Staff:
- profile of Gerald Tyler, manager of information, experience and training at KDW
- Jim Dunne, manager of graphics at KDW, on how to approach the design of a brochure
- profile of Margaret Downes, Chairwoman of KDW and the first woman President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
- Gerald Tyler speaks at a seminar on starting and developing your own business organised by the IDA and Wexford County Development Team
- Mortimer O'Shea, Filed Services Officer at KDW elected Vice-President of the Textile Institute, an international body with members in 95 countries
- the marriage of Kilkenny shop assistant Miriam Woods to Terry Flanagan
Other Kilkenny Design Workshops News:
- an illustrated talk on KDW given by Miss Mondow at the annual meeting of Kilkenny County Market
- plans for a new Kilkenny shop in Limerick
- variety of products aimed at local people at the Kilkenny shop in Kilkenny
- entry forms for the Irish Book Awards available from KDW
- alist of the winners of KDW's annual 5 mile road race
- the image of KDW as craftsmakers vs. the reality of providing design consultancy services to industry and training new designers
- reluctance on behalf of the government to fund the set up of the proposped KDW shop in the Limerick Granary Urban Renewal Project, in which much of the spaces are vacant
- KDW to launch a complete contract interiors service
- two Irish harpists to visit Japan, one of the harpists was originally spotted by a Japanese professor while playing at KDW
- Minister for Industry and Energy, John Bruton, visits KDW for a working lunch with the Board of Directors
- Irish-Soviet Joint Commission officials visit KDW
- KDW grant from Department of Industry and Energy to be increased by 6% for 1984, which is not enough to cover the rate of inflation
Kilkenny Design Centre, Nassau Street:
- interior design service available under Sean Regan
- series of talks and workshops on interior design by Brian Dunlop
- listed as a place a "West Brit" would be found in a Trinity College student publication
- ideas for wedding gifts and the wedding list service provided by Kilkenny Design Centre
- ideas for Mothers day gifts
- ideas for Christmas presents
- various products available at the Kilkenny shop including textiles, fabrics, knitwear, carpets, cushions, fashion, jewellery, pottery, ceramic plant pots, glassware, furniture, lighting, kitchenware, wicker picnic baskets, wooden toys, books, stationary and 'Burren Fragrance' perfume
- press conference to announce the details of the Bicentenial Conference at Kilkenny Castle to celebrate ties between Ireland and Australia
- the café in the Kilkenny shop being used by Trinity College lecturers to hold classes and mark essays so as not to cross the Irish Federation of University Teachers picket line
- 1982 Environmental Awards reception held at the Kilkenny Shop
- catalogues of KDW stock available to order by mail
- plans for the revamp of the National Gallery restaurant in the same style as the Kilkenny restaurant
- Kilkenny restaurant as an inexpensive but good quality place to eat
- a listing for the Kilkenny shop as a place to buy crafts and souvenirs in 'Ireland of the Welcomes', a publication aimed at tourists
- the general lack of facilities for mothers and babies in Dublin department stores, Kilkenny shop noted as mother-and-baby-friendly with a ramp for buggy access, help with storing buggy during lunch, provision of a quiet room for changing facilities and allows breastfeeding
- the difficulty in finding Irish linen and tweed to buy in Dublin shops
- Kilkenny Design Centre to hold their first ever January sale
- the Ragharmonic Ensemble, a junk shop orchestra with children playing self made musical instruments, to perform at the Kilkenny shop over Christmas
Former KDW Staff, Other Crafts People and Crafts/Design Businesses:
- potter Paddy Murphy at Carleysbridge Pottery and their plans to export to Japan
- Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, run by Michael And Johanna Roche, wins Best Stand Award and the IDA Perpetual Craft Trophy for product excellence at the National Crafts Fair
- the opening of a new second hand sswop shop for children's clothes called FitzKidz
- the 1983 European Craft Conference to be held in Ireland
- Beibhinn Marten and her knitwear company'Beacon Designs
- Tom Farrell, who studied at Limerick School of Art and Design and spent 6 months at KDW, employed by Walmac
- fashion designer Pat Crowley's spring/summer collection
- Conor Kenny, formerly of the Furniture Development Programme at KDW, has set up Watliffe Ltd, a marketing and consultant company to the Irish furniture industry
- The Spinning Wheel, a new craft shop in Limerick with a policy of only stocking good quality Irish products
- Jim King, former chief executive of KDW, is one of the directors of the Irish American Foundation and the executive vice-president of Guinness Peat Aviation
- craft and design in Northern Ireland, questioning if there should be a similar venture to KDW in the North
- knitwear fashion designs for the summer by Michael Mortell, Bebhinn Marten and Liz Spillane
- Slipcast Ltd, a ceramics company set up by Michael Byrnes, a former participant in the Butler House programme
- Heritage Knitwear, a Mayo based clothing company set up by Dermot MacShane
- 1983 Late Late Show Fashion Awards
- 'Young Collection' a new fashion boutique for children set up by Cait Skelly and Nuala Fagan
- an extract from the book 'Voices: A Life of Frank O'Connor' by James Matthews which mentions a visit Frank O'Connor made to Kilkenny to see his friend Bill Walsh (W.H. Walsh - former Chairman of KDW)
- Medieval Drogheda's plans to convert Millmount into a museum and crafts complex
- At an exhibition in Powerscourt Centre associated with the European Conference of the World Crafts Council, Justin Keating spoke about the craft industry, which has seen improvements in quality, supportive bodies and retail spaces but there is still a need for a long term strategic plan for the industry
- basketmaker Joe Hogan
- Jonathan Richards men's fashions
- Knitwear designers Liz Spillane and Lorraine Egan
- needlecraft on Dawson Street
- Stonewear Jackson Pottery by Michael Jackson
- jewellery by Ib Jorgensen and Sonja Landweer
Exhibitions and Festivals:
- 1983 National Crafts Fair at the RDS
- exhibition of the entries to the Arco kitchen design award in the Kilkenny Design Centre, Dublin
- exhibition of watercolours by Wendy Walsh and the launch of her book 'An Irish Florilegium' at the Kilkenny Design Centre, Dublin
- art competition to celebrate 100 years of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association)
- exhibition of the winners of the Irish Book Design Awards at the Kilkenny Design Centre, Dublin
- a call on the people of Kilkenny to take pride in Kilkenny Arts Week and to become more active in highlighting and advertising events to visitors
- various art exhbitions including a craftware exhibition at KDW as part of Irish-Australian week in Kilkenny
- exhibition of entries to National Road Safety Authority and Society of Designers in Ireland competition at Kilkenny Design Centre, Dublin
- a round up of exhibitions in Dublin during September 1983 including the GPA awards and various craft exhibitions associated with the European World Crafts Council Conference
- International Wool Secretariat exhibition
- book launch of 'Cookery & Cures of Old Kilkenny' by Mildred Weeks at the Kilkenny Design Centre in Dublin
Cultural Institutions:
- rescue package for the Douglas Hyde Gallery
- the Irish American Foundation announce the donation of a grant for Marsh's Library in Dublin
- new Director of the Arts Council Adrian Munnelly taking over from Colm O'Briain and a review of arts funding from 1975-1983
Importance of Design:
- report of a speech given by Margaret Downes, Chairperson of KDW, at the Galway Chamber of Commerce, in which she says that quality design improvement must be an integral part of the national plan to increase exports and reduce imports
- speaking at the 10th annual conference of the Irish Marketing Society, Elizabeth Shannon, the wife of a former American Ambassador to Ireland, criticises conservatism in both Irish society and products, particularly souvenirs aimed at tourists
- the growth of interest in interior design among the Irish public
- the set up of the Kilkenny shops as an exercise to promote good Irish design and manufacturing
- At the Irish Book Design Awards ceremony Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Energy, Eddie Collins, stresses the importance of good design to production
- letter to the Irish Times by Peter Metcalf, President of the Society of Designers in Ireland, about the importance of high quality packaging and presentation for Irish goods
- publication of 'Irish Art Heritage' by Harry Gilmore, a design source book for craftworkers, commissioned by Shannon Development
- the Quality Mark Scheme, to provide an indication of good quality in Irish industry
Industry and Exports:
- the Irish furniture industry and its lack of contemporary designs
- the use of wood in Irish furniture
- the influence of KDW on the Irish furniture industry
- how to furnish your home with Irish made furniture, mentions various manufacturers and retailers
- the furniture market for the hospitality industry and how it differs from the domestic market
- a new golfing aid product invented by Noel Jackman and manufactured by James Gordon Ltd, with development assistance from IDA and KDW
- Windex '83, an exhibition of local industries organised by Waterford Chamber of Commerce, at which an award for best stand, judged by Michael Marchant of KDW, was presented by the IDA
- a letter to The Munster Express criticising the choice of Waterfrod Regional Technical College as recipient of the award for best stand at Windex '83 on the basis that they are an educational institution and not an industry or production based stand
- Small Firms Association says there must be some duplication in the 13 agencies (including KDW) that provide services to small businesses
- National Board for Science and Technology says organisations such as IIRS (Institute for Industrial Research and Standards), the Innovation Centre and KDW are undercutting the private sector and there is no incentive for industry to provide its own services
- Wexford Cutlery Ltd and their plans to diversify into cutlery with porcelain handles designed by KDW, as a way to overcome their financial difficulties
- the Irish electronics industry and their difficulty in sourcing quality local fabricators, KDW's involvement in trying to improve designs with manufacturers
- Drogheda weaving firm Tapestries Ireland, led by Helena Ruuth, and their new range of woven fashion items and high exports
- Greenmount Office Park, a new office complex in Dublin with units for sale in which the showroom had been furnished by Austin Manning and the carpets are from Curragh Carpets
- Navan Chamber of Commerce organised a preview of furniture from Navan Bedding Company, a co-operative formed by workers made redundant by the Balmoral Company, and Kellets of Oldcastle, who make a range of beds for KDW
- worksheet for setting up your own business aimed at young people includes decisions to take and where to get advice and assistance e.g. KDW
- Stitchers, a small manufacturing company making tweed patchwork fashion and textiles
- feature on Beehive Ltd, an Irish electronics company that develop products for export, the development of a new keyboard and computer terminal with the help of KDW
- Crannac Co-operative, furniture manufacturer facing difficulties, attempting to improve profitability with new designs from KDW
- the craft industry in Ireland and some of the problems it faces
- various state-sponsored bodies that give grants and assistance in setting up a business including KDW
Education:
- the European Social Fund Assistance to Ireland contributing to the training of designers at KDW
- Kilkenny Designer Student Awards won by Joseph Ensko, Siobhan O'Leary, Sadhbh O'Neill, Eoin Hennessey, Niall O' Flynn, Eric Pearce, John Costelloe and Laurence Byrne
- Irish Book Design Awards won by Blackstaff Press (Wendy Dunbar), An Gum (Pat Mooney), Gallery Press and Veritas Publications (Kevin Walsh)
- announcement of 1984 Designer Development Awards
- poster design competition for design students run by National Road Safety Authority and Society of Designers in Ireland, judges were umimpressed with the quality of entries and did not award a second or third prize
- ceramic jewellery by Lisa Young, one of the participants in the Butler House designer developement scheme
- jewellers Gabriel O'Connor and Heather McFadden (who studied at KDW) given opportunity for further study at the City of Copenhagen Polytechnic
- an all-Ireland toymaking competition for children run by North and South Departments of Education to be judged by Gerald Tyler of KDW among others
Kilkenny
- feature on Kilkenny City and its heritage and architecture
- a mystery man competition run by the Evening Herald to spot a man in Kilkenny holding a Kilkenny Design bag
- praise for Kilkenny city and KDW from Minister for State at the Department of Finance, Mr. Joe Bermingham, at the turning of the sod of an extension for the school, Kilkenny College
- fashion show at the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny with all the accessories and children's wear coming from KDW