Social cheat sheet for the festival weekend

• 

  Amanda Bone

  Copy name

  Architect, Amanda Bone Architects and DTA Architects

  • Sat 12:30PM Not Blinded by the Light

  Bio

  Architect Amanda Bone worked in Paris, New York and Dublin prior to establishing Amanda Bone Architects in 2000, a multi award winning architectural practice specialising in one-off individual houses ranging from contemporary new build to the refurbishment of protected structures.

  Since 2020 Amanda has also been working with DTA Architects, a design oriented practice with particular expertise in high density sites and typological innovation, and recognised as a leading practice in residential design and sustainability across various scales and sectors for both public and private clients. Amanda is also a judge on the RTE series Home of The Year.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Amer Shomali

  Copy name

  Palestinian artist, director of the Palestinian Museum

  • Sat 3:30PM Global Creativity
  • Sun 4:00PM This Must be the Place

  Bio

  Amer Shomali is a Palestinian multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, film, digital media, installation, and comics.

  His practice engages with the sociopolitical realities of Palestine through irony, visual metaphor, and collective storytelling.

  Shomali is co-director of the award-winning animated documentary The Wanted 18 (2014), which retells an act of civil resistance during the First Intifada through the perspective of humour and resilience. His art challenges dominant narratives of power, occupation, and identity by transforming everyday Palestinian experiences into spaces of visual resistance.

  Currently serving as director of the Palestinian Museum, Shomali continues to shape the cultural landscape through institutional leadership, supporting emerging artists, and curating exhibitions that foreground Palestinian creativity as an act of political continuity.

  Across media and disciplines, his work asserts art’s capacity to question authority, sustain memory, and imagine freedom within conditions of displacement and colonial constraint.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Anna Guerin

  Copy name

  Clothing designer, The Landskein

  • Sun 10:00AM Designing for Humans
  • Sun 11:30AM Design for Life

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Boo George

  Copy name

  Fashion photographer

  • Sat 12:30PM Not Blinded by the Light
  • Sat 5:00PM In a Different Light

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Bryan O’Sullivan

  Copy name

  Interior designer, Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, London and New York

  • Sat 5:00PM Luxury Design in the 21st Century
  • Sun 2:30PM Designing the Guest Journey

  Bio

  Bryan O’Sullivan Studio was founded in 2013 and today has teams established in both central London and New York City. The studio works with clients globally to produce contemporary, liveable design informed by an elegant and eclectic European point of view. Projects span residential, hospitality, restaurants, bars and maritime. Bryan finds exquisite details and inspiration everywhere he goes absorbing the nuances and details that make everyday living exceptional.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Cel Phelan

  Copy name

  Museum designer, Event Communications

  • Sun 4:00PM This Must be the Place

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Colin Farmer

  Copy name

  Cofounder and managing director, Unthink

  • Fri 5:30PM When the Client is Wrong
  • Sun 2:30PM Designing the Guest Journey

  Bio

  Colin Farmer is co-founder and Managing Director of Unthink, an independent design studio based in Dublin. Since founding the studio in 2006, he has led major branding and digital projects across the cultural, educational and commercial sectors, with a particular focus on creative strategy, user experience and helping organisations navigate complex change.

  Alongside his work at Unthink, Colin is an active member of Ireland’s design community and currently serves on the Executive Board of ICAD. He has taught and lectured in visual communication at IADT, TU Dublin and internationally, as well as mentoring emerging designers through programmes including DesignWest. His work with Unthink has been recognised by ICAD, the 100 Archive and ISTD, and he has spoken at design and creative industry events in Ireland and internationally.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Darrell Kavanagh

  Copy name

  Managing director and cofounder, Image Now

  • Sat 8:00PM Making Your Living from Design
  • Sun 1:00PM Architects of Identity Host

  Bio

  Darrell Kavanagh is Managing Director of Image Now and co-founded the company in 1993. For the last three decades he has advised and directed clients on design strategies, becoming an internationally recognised authority on the strategic value of brand identity, and the role it plays in business, culture and society.

  Darrell has established a remarkable track record for Irish design including the iconic Riverdance identity system, MTV, Sony Playstation and the UN.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Domhnall Ó Gairbhí

  Copy name

  Midcentury furniture dealer, Acquired.ie

  • Sat 9:30AM Shop Talk

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Donnacha Cahill

  Copy name

  Sculptor in bronze and steel, Athenry

  • Sat 11:30AM Honest Materials

  Bio

  Donnacha Cahill is a west of Ireland sculptor specialising in Bronze and Steel. Donnacha is renowned for his ability to create sculpture that tells a story but also allows the viewer to interpret the work with their own narrative. His work is highly collectible and is currently in private collections across the globe. He has been commissioned to create large-scale work for the public and private sector. He exhibits annually at the Chelsea Flower show and has exhibited nationally and Internationally. Donnacha believes in creating work that acts as a vessel to inspire and tell stories. He is inspired by his everyday surroundings and observations from his home in Athenry, Co Galway.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Frances Duff

  Copy name

  Cofounder, Stable of Ireland

  • Sat 9:30AM Shop Talk

  Bio

  We believe our Irishness is rooted in our cultural and vernacular heritage and specifically for what we do, in Irish textiles and craft.

  For us, Irishness is proud, warm and kind. It is wild, creative, beautiful and melancholy. It is our weather, it is our landscape. It is the very hands of the people who make and craft across the island of Ireland, north and south. Precious skills with natural materials in past centuries were honed out of necessity for daily life in rural communities and today our priority is to honour, respect and preserve this.

  We wish to present our Irishness through the lens of what we hold from these cultural, vernacular, craft and textile traditions while adding a fresh approach to the design of our collections in order to suit the way we live today. By doing this, with every piece we hope to highlight a vibrant new Irishness and the skills of a growing pool of creative talent working in craft on the island.

  A large focus for our work is to gain a deeper understanding of Ireland through what we make. Everything we do has a story; the history of the craft, the textile, the art, the location, the background to the wonderful people who make it with us. Each and every scarf, throw, piece of clothing or home accessory is deeply imbued with it all. For us, it is a pure joy to do what we do and our wish is that you feel it too. Everything we design and make is built to last, working with natural materials as close to us as possible. We strive to run our business ethically and sustainably every day.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Frieda Gormley

  Copy name

  Cofounder, House of Hackney

  • Sat 11:00AM The Feel of a Room
  • Sun 11:30AM Design for Life

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Gavin Little

  Copy name

  Sound designer and composer, founder of Echolab

  • Fri 8:30PM Design in the Sporting Arena
  • Sat 11:00AM The Feel of a Room

  Bio

  ECHOLAB

  Founded in 2001 by sound designer and composer Gavin Little, Echolab is a creative audio studio dedicated to crafting distinctive soundtracks for both commercial and artistic projects with a unique perspective.

  Gavin’s innovative sound design for experimental art projects captivated brand creatives, ultimately leading to Echolab being commissioned to craft immersive, emotionally charged soundtracks for high-profile commercial campaigns.

  From immersive brand experiences to cinematic trailers, Gavin’s work has resonates across the globe - collaborating with iconic brands such as Nike, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Beats by Dre, Guinness, Nissan, Audi, Formula 1, Disney+, Netflix, and FX Network.

  His sonic style can be heard in trailers for Star Wars, Blade Runner 2049, Alien, Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, Mad Max, Ex Machina, and many more.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Gemma Tipton

  Copy name

  Arts writer and journalist, The Irish Times

  • Sat 11:30AM Honest Materials Host
  • Sun 10:00AM Designing for Humans Host
  • Sun 2:30PM Designing the Guest Journey Host

  Bio

  Gemma Tipton is an arts writer and journalist based in Ireland. She writes primarily for The Irish Times, and is also an author and editor of essays and books on architecture, design and culture. She has worked as an independent curator of exhibitions and festivals around Ireland, including at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Established in 2020, her Festival in a Van brought mobile arts events, including poetry, music and theatre around Ireland. The Van is still touring.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Gerin Trautenberger

  Copy name

  President of Kreativwirtschaft Austria and Creative FED

  • Sat 3:30PM Global Creativity

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Giacomo Nicolodi

  Copy name

  Design lead for Kerten Hospitality hotels

  • Sun 2:30PM Designing the Guest Journey

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Holly Pereira

  Copy name

  Illustrator and muralist, Dublin

  • Sat 6:30PM Design Her
  • Sat 8:00PM Making Your Living from Design

  Bio

  Photo credit: Ruth Medjber / @ruthlessimagery (instagram)

  A Singaporean-Irish illustrator and muralist based in Dublin, Ireland, Holly Pereira creates bold, colourful work that transforms spaces and invites people to engage with their environment.

  Working across murals, illustration, lettering and animation, her practice is rooted in a fascination with colour, form, typography, and the ways visual language can shape how we experience a place.

  Her work brings energy and character to walls across Ireland and internationally, often using large-scale colour and graphic forms to create environments that feel playful, welcoming and alive.

  Lettering and typography often sit at the heart of her illustration practice. By combining words with imagery, she creates work that communicates with clarity and impact—using language not simply as text, but as a visual form in its own right.

  Pereira studied Fine Art and Animation in Dublin, developing a practice that moves fluidly between the static and the moving, the personal and the public.

  She is also a proud member of The Minaw Collective, an Ireland-based collective of muralists, street artists and graffiti artists.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Jenny Huston

  Copy name

  Jewellery designer, founder of Edge Only, and radio DJ

  • Sat 9:30AM Shop Talk Host
  • Sat 11:30AM Honest Materials
  • Sun 10:00AM Designing for Humans

  Bio

  Jenny Huston is an Irish-Canadian jewellery designer and radio DJ. A second-generation jeweller, she founded Edge Only in 2014 and is its Creative Director. Her design language plays minimal against maximal: statement pieces that are large in scale, but highly polished and pared back in finish, with genderless design at their core. Every piece is ethically made in Ireland with 100% recycled gold and sterling silver. Her pieces have won two IDI Awards and been worn by Charlize Theron, Michelle Visage and Robert Sheehan. She also hosts weekday mornings on U2 X-Radio, on SiriusXM North America.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Jerry O’Sullivan

  Copy name

  Broadcast journalist, presents Kerry Today on Radio Kerry

  • Fri 8:30PM Design in the Sporting Arena Host
  • Sat 3:30PM Global Creativity Host
  • Sun 4:00PM This Must be the Place Host

  Bio

  Jerry O'Sullivan is a Kenmare native and a multi award winning broadcast journalist with almost 30 experience in radio.

  Having started out in Radio Kerry then moved to Dublin, part of the team that set up Newstalk. While there he won several national radio awards for news and sports coverage and was appointed the station's sports editor in 2006.

  In 2010 he returned to Kenmare and to Radio Kerry where he has presented the flagship current affairs show Kerry Today for the past 15 years. This year he won a silver award at the New York Festivals Radio Awards for his documentary 'Gloryhunter - Kerry's Indian Killer'.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Jim Dixon

  Copy name

  Superyacht designer

  • Sat 5:00PM Luxury Design in the 21st Century
  • Sun 2:30PM Designing the Guest Journey

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Joanne Byrne

  Copy name

  Graphic and interpretive designer, visiting lecturer at IADT

  • Sun 4:00PM This Must be the Place

  Bio

  I’m a Dublin-based graphic designer with a background in interpretive design and a love for storytelling in the built environment. With 20 years industry experience, I have worked independently for the past nine years on projects in the cultural, corporate and heritage sectors. I am a visiting lecturer at the Institute of Art, Design + Technology where I have been teaching design for over ten years.

  Interpretive Design

  I work on interpretive design projects for museums and visitor centres, bringing graphic design elements from concept and design to tender process and overseeing fit-out. I work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to deliver informative and entertaining experiences with cohesive design. Before working independently, I spent 7 years as head of graphic design for an interpretive design studio, creating award-winning exhibitions and visitor experiences in Ireland and internationally.

  Graphic Design

  I have worked in Dublin, Paris and Brussels on a diverse range of projects including exhibition design, visual identity, infographics, wayfinding and editorial design. My process involves thorough research, creative thinking and carefully crafted design with the end user in mind. I have a love for typography and materiality. I work closely with suppliers to bring each project to completion with a high level of finish.

  Placemaking

  I am really interested in the role design plays in the practice of placemaking, from the functionality of wayfinding to the use of large format graphics and interactive installations to forge meaningful connections between people and their surroundings. My experience in the museum industry has informed my approach to creating narrative concepts for the built environment, with visitor interaction at their core.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Kate Butler

  Copy name

  Writer and DJ (dj softskills), Dublin Digital Radio

  • Sat 11:00AM The Feel of a Room Host
  • Sat 5:00PM In a Different Light Host
  • Sat 6:30PM Design Her Host

  Bio

  kate butler / dj softskills

  A writer and DJ in Dublin since the 1990s, dj softskills has a monthly show on Dublin Digital Radio (ddr), inspired by rave culture, community clubbing and the disorientating futurism of dance music.

  In 2026, Kate produced Control, a radio documentary series for Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ/2FM, about women’s work in the recording studio.

  Kate's work is concerned with societal barriers to technology for creative purposes, particularly for women and other marginalised groups. Since 2017, she has been developing Atomic, a programme which teaches girls and marginalised children how to DJ and gives young people access to broadcasting on ddr.

  Working across the visual arts, print and film, in 2021 Kate was one of the selectors of the Woman in the Machine exhibition at Carlow's VISUAL gallery. That same year, she co-curated Utopia: The Chill Out Room as a Radical Space in the National Concert Hall.

  In 2022, at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), she co-programmed, with Ashley Chadamoyo Makombe, For What You Dream Of: Talks, Dance Rhythms and Afro-future Imaginaries. For Brigit Festival 2022, Kate conceived and produced a short film, Sonic Cyborgs: FemTech ‘n theStudio, directed by Eavan Aiken. That year, Kate also helped to develop Viva Dean’s Synthesize_Her_, a feminist sound-technology project.

  In 2023, Kate co-edited, with Roo Honeychild, Mesh Net, a publication about social dance in Ireland. For Culture Night in 2024 and 2025, she curated and presented events for the Galway Arts Centre - Wanna See You Werk and The Outside Voice.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Kelly Anna

  Copy name

  Visual artist, murals and brand collaborations

  • Fri 8:30PM Design in the Sporting Arena
  • Sat 6:30PM Design Her

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Ken Deegan

  Copy name

  Designer, cofounder of Associate, former Pentagram associate partner

  • Fri 7:00PM Your Design Career
  • Sun 1:00PM Architects of Identity

  Bio

  Ken is a designer and co-founder of Associate, a studio that shapes thoughtful, ambitious work across brand, space, and strategy. With over a decade at Pentagram New York as an Associate Partner, he shaped identities, environments, and experiences for brands like Nike, Samsung, Cooper Hewitt, Phaidon, Calendly, Grace Farms, OPPO and lululemon. His path has taken him through leading studios in Dublin, London and New York.

  Founded in 2023, Associate is built on the belief that design can shift perspectives and spark change. He holds a BA in Visual Communication from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Ken spent eight years on faculty at the School of Visual Arts, New York, and has lectured at Design West, a international summer school in Ireland.

  A James Beard Award winner and ADC Gold Cube recipient, Ken has also been recognised by AIGA, the Type Directors Club, and D&AD, with honours across Asia, Europe, and the US.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Louise Duffy

  Copy name

  Broadcaster

  • Sat 5:00PM Luxury Design in the 21st Century Host

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Mary Doherty

  Copy name

  Founder and managing director, Red Dog

  • Fri 7:00PM Your Design Career Host
  • Sun 1:00PM Architects of Identity

  Bio

  Mary Doherty is the founder and Managing Director of Red Dog, one of Ireland’s most respected brand and design agencies – set up the day after she graduated from NCAD in 1993 and still thriving decades later on the simple rule that good is never good enough.

  Mary has steered Red Dog to international recognition and award-winning work, blending strategic insight with visual clarity for clients from many sectors but with a strong emphasis on non-profit organisations. Red Dog have just delivered new brand systems for the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), Irish Red Cross, Brothers of Charity and the Law Society of Ireland.

  She believes that Red Dog is only what it is because of everyone who works there, and that has worked there, and because of seriously hard graft with a sprinkling of stubbornness - always wanting to be better. A Fellow and former President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland, she brings sharp thinking and humour to everything she does - and sometimes that can be a bit annoying.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Matthew Thompson

  Copy name

  Photographer and filmmaker, portraits and brand stories

  • Sat 5:00PM In a Different Light
  • Sun 1:00PM Architects of Identity

  Bio

  Matthew Thompson is an award winning Irish artist working in photography and film. He captures human character and brand stories, bringing depth and authenticity to commercial and personal work alike.

  His collaborative "read by" films have been showcased at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (2021, 25 & 26), won the Grand Jury prize at the Weimar Poetry Film Awards (2026), Zebra Film Festival, Berlin, (2023-4-5), Reel Film Festival, Texas (2026). His book, "With the Use of This Machine," was Belfast Photo Festival Photo Book Winner (2026). His portrait of Andrew Hozier-Byrne was a finalist for the Zurich Portrait Award / National Gallery of Ireland (2020).

  In 2015, Matthew collaborated with Broadstone Films to represent Ireland in the Architectural Biennale in Shenzhen, China. He has worked with a diverse range of esteemed clients, including Pentagram, Philips, Saatchi & Saatchi Pro, Adrain Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation, RADA, IMMA, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Dalziel & Pow, Red&Grey Design, Detail Design Studio, Bielke & Yang, Socio Design, Made Thought, Monocle, Wired (Japan), Condé Nast, Time-Warner, Cara, and EMI.

  Matthew's personal work explores how conditioning influences perception, and he has exhibited in New York, New Orleans, Weimar, Paris, Texas, London, Shenzhen, Helsinki, Belfast, and Dublin. He holds a Master of Fine Art Photography from the University of Ulster in Belfast and a Bachelor of Design Degree from The National College of Art & Design in Dublin.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Naoise Nunn

  Copy name

  Design Kenmare codirector, Schweppe Curtis Nunn

  • Fri 5:30PM When the Client is Wrong Host
  • Sun 11:30AM Design for Life Host

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Neville Brody

  Copy name

  Graphic designer, Professor of Communication at the Royal College of Art

  • Fri 7:00PM Your Design Career

  Bio

  Based from his studio in London, Neville Brody works worldwide with clients such as Coca-Cola, BBC, Sony Music, Channel 4, The Times, Christian Dior, Supreme, Mayo Clinic, Samsung, Mikimoto, and Shiseido.

  In 2025, he was awarded OBE for his services to design. Previously president of D&AD he is Professor of Communication at the Royal College of Art and a Royal Designer for Industry. He is an honorary Fellow of University of the Arts London, and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Nicosia.

  Brody leads his practice with experimentation, exploration, and discovery through influential projects such as FUSE and the ADF. He has always been focused on education and how it can change to better support creative development and opportunity.

  In 2023, Brody’s hotly awaited new publication, The Graphic Language of Neville Brody 3 (NB3), was launched in partnership with Thames and Hudson. Six years in the making, NB3 is a major collection of Brody’s work produced over the last 30 years.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Niall Rowan

  Copy name

  Architect, founding director and managing director of DTA Architects

  • Fri 5:30PM When the Client is Wrong
  • Sun 4:00PM This Must be the Place

  Bio

  Niall Rowan, a graduate of UCD of School of Architecture, is a leading architect in practice, a founding director, design lead and managing director since 2021 of DTA Architects, a Dublin based design-led practice with a commitment to and reputation for quality of architectural design. A proven ability to deliver appropriate and sustainable design solutions for complex building programmes in challenging contexts, with an emphasis on tectonic rigour, underpins the work, as recognised in numerous AAI, RIAI, EUmies, Net Zero Ireland, RTPI, UIA, IDI and other awards and nominations.

  In particular, DTA are recognised as a leading practice in residential design, with unique experience and particular expertise in density and typological innovation, having an inherent concern and successful track record with urban form, the public realm, place making and fostering the creation of long-term sustainable communities. DTA have been awarded the AAI Downes Medal and, uniquely, the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing, the highest award for housing design, on four occasions, 2001, 2007, 2015 and this year 2026 for Highfield Park Student Accommodation in Dublin.

  DTA have also been acknowledged for sustainable design excellence, winning the Towards NetZero Ireland Best Housing 2022, Design Practice of the Year 2023 and awards for Gloucester Street Hotel, a zero-emissions building which exceeds the Paris Agreement NetZero energy performance and carbon reduction targets for 2030 and achieved the highest BER rating for a hotel in Ireland to date.

  Current projects include public and private sector residential, mixed-use and cultural developments, including social and affordable tenure housing and regeneration for South Dublin County Council and Dublin City Council, a new public library in Youghal for Cork County Council and a new extension to the DTA-designed Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield Dublin.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Noelle Cooper

  Copy name

  Cofounder and creative director, Unthink

  • Sat 6:30PM Design Her
  • Sun 1:00PM Architects of Identity

  Bio

  Noelle Cooper is co-founder and Creative Director of Unthink, an independent design studio based in Dublin. Since 2007, she has led award-winning work across branding, digital experiences, publishing and environmental design for clients in the cultural, educational and commercial sectors.

  Alongside her practice, Noelle is an active contributor to the design community as a juror, mentor and speaker. In 2026, she served on the D&AD Awards jury and has been invited to represent Ireland on the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADC*E) Awards jury later this year. Her previous jury and industry roles include the ICAD Awards, Kinsale Sharks and the 100 Archive selection panel. She also contributes to design education through teaching and guest lecturing in Ireland and internationally.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Paul Galvin

  Copy name

  Former Kerry footballer, designs his own brand at Dunnes Stores

  • Fri 8:30PM Design in the Sporting Arena
  • Sun 10:00AM Designing for Humans

  Bio

  Paul Galvin works at the intersection of design and sport. His design and storytelling examines everything from stadium architecture, seating plans, pitch lines and play designs in NFL to hurley-making, club crests, & victory-speeches. Language is used in a specific and culturally appropriate way to design, storytell and market his brand at Dunnes Stores. His latest story, BAS, communicates the essence of hurling.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Paul O’Brien

  Copy name

  Furniture designer and maker, creative director of Modet

  • Fri 4:00PM The Rural Renaissance
  • Sun 11:30AM Design for Life

  Bio

  Paul O’Brien is an award winning furniture designer and maker and the creative director of Modet.

  Modet is an Irish furniture studio and workshop located in Co. Cork, that produces contemporary furniture for both private and commercial clients all over the world. Modet’s furniture is defined by elegant, sculptural lines, hand carved details and meticulous craftsmanship. Modet has recently opened a showroom in Kinsale, Co. Cork and is also represented by the Roísin Lafferty Gallery in Dublin.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Róisín Buckley

  Copy name

  Company director at creative agency Piquant, former RTÉ producer

  • Fri 4:00PM The Rural Renaissance Host
  • Sat 12:30PM Not Blinded by the Light Host
  • Sat 8:00PM Making Your Living from Design Host

  Bio

  Communications expert Róisín Buckley is company director at full-service creative agency Piquant. A former RTÉ Producer, Róisín has twenty years of communications, production and creative project management experience. With her focus on the audience experience Róisín is adept at finding the story, producing the story and promoting the story.

  Róisín’s project experience includes strategic communications, video production, campaign management, social media marketing, and digital brand elevation. Róisín has lectured in film production at the Technological University of the Shannon and is co-curator of GASP! The Business of Digital Storytelling, a bi-annual creative industry conference. Róisín is a member of the An Dúlra Coop board.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Róisín Lafferty

  Copy name

  Founder and creative director, Róisín Lafferty design studio

  • Sat 11:00AM The Feel of a Room
  • Sat 5:00PM Luxury Design in the 21st Century

  Bio

  Róisín Lafferty is an award-winning Irish design studio renowned for creating immersive, detail-driven environments worldwide. From Europe to the Americas, the Middle East, and beyond, the studio transforms spaces across continents into unforgettable experiences. Led by Founder & Creative Director Róisín Lafferty, each project blends architecture, art, and innovation with meticulous attention to detail; where imagination becomes tangible, and design redefines the way we live.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Sasha Sykes

  Copy name

  Artist, casts hedgerow plants and seaweed into furniture

  • Fri 4:00PM The Rural Renaissance
  • Sat 11:30AM Honest Materials

  No bio on designkenmare.com yet.

• 

  Sonia Reynolds

  Copy name

  Cofounder, Stable of Ireland

  • Sat 9:30AM Shop Talk

  Bio

  We believe our Irishness is rooted in our cultural and vernacular heritage and specifically for what we do, in Irish textiles and craft.

  For us, Irishness is proud, warm and kind. It is wild, creative, beautiful and melancholy. It is our weather, it is our landscape. It is the very hands of the people who make and craft across the island of Ireland, north and south. Precious skills with natural materials in past centuries were honed out of necessity for daily life in rural communities and today our priority is to honour, respect and preserve this.

  We wish to present our Irishness through the lens of what we hold from these cultural, vernacular, craft and textile traditions while adding a fresh approach to the design of our collections in order to suit the way we live today. By doing this, with every piece we hope to highlight a vibrant new Irishness and the skills of a growing pool of creative talent working in craft on the island.

  A large focus for our work is to gain a deeper understanding of Ireland through what we make. Everything we do has a story; the history of the craft, the textile, the art, the location, the background to the wonderful people who make it with us. Each and every scarf, throw, piece of clothing or home accessory is deeply imbued with it all. For us, it is a pure joy to do what we do and our wish is that you feel it too. Everything we design and make is built to last, working with natural materials as close to us as possible. We strive to run our business ethically and sustainably every day.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Stephen O’Connell

  Copy name

  Potter, Fermoyle Pottery with Alexis Bowman, Co. Kerry

  • Fri 4:00PM The Rural Renaissance
  • Sat 9:30AM Shop Talk

  Bio

  Stephen O’Connell and Alexis Bowman are the husband and wife team behind Fermoyle Pottery. Working from their home studio in Co. Kerry.

  They design and make ceramic tableware for some of the most exciting chefs in Ireland and abroad. Their process draws on local materials like slate and wood ash, allowing their pieces to speak the language of the surrounding landscape. When a chef works with one of their pieces, it becomes more than an object — it’s interpreted, expanded, and woven into a wider creative world.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Tim Dunleavy

  Copy name

  Furniture designer and maker, cofounder of Dunleavy Bespoke, Kildare

  • Sat 8:00PM Making Your Living from Design
  • Sun 11:30AM Design for Life

  Bio

  Tim Dunleavy is an Irish furniture designer and master craftsman, and co-founder of Dunleavy Bespoke, an award-winning furniture design and manufacturing company based in County Kildare. Together with his brother Seán Dunleavy, Tim established the business in 2009 with a commitment to creating distinctive, handcrafted furniture characterised by exceptional materials, meticulous workmanship and contemporary design.

  Tim’s foundations in furniture making were developed at the renowned Furniture College in GMIT Letterfrack. Following graduation, the Dunleavy brothers worked with acclaimed furniture makers in Ireland and the United Kingdom. These experiences exposed them to accomplished designers, makers and craftspeople and helped develop the combination of technical skill and appreciation for quality that would later become central to Dunleavy Bespoke.

  Today, Tim's work brings together traditional cabinet-making skills and modern processes, enabling the creation of furniture that is contemporary in character while remaining firmly rooted in the traditions of fine craftsmanship. Each piece is made by hand, with careful attention given to materials, construction, proportion and finish.

  Dunleavy Bespoke works with native and imported hardwoods, exotic and decorative veneers, luxurious fabrics and leathers, as well as materials including metal, stone and marble. The company describes quality and integrity as fundamental values, beginning with the selection of raw materials and continuing through every stage of making.

  Collaboration is equally important to Tim’s approach. Bespoke commissions are developed in close consultation with clients, allowing their individual requirements and tastes to influence the finished piece. This process produces highly personalised furniture rather than a fixed catalogue of designs, while allowing the craftsmanship and design identity of Dunleavy Bespoke to remain evident.

  Over the years, the company’s client base has grown to encompass interior designers, architects and private clients in Ireland and internationally. Its furniture has appeared in private homes as well as churches, restaurants, offices, embassies and ambassadors’ residences, museums and galleries.

  At the heart of Tim Dunleavy’s work is a respect for the enduring value of objects that are thoughtfully designed and exceptionally made. Through Dunleavy Bespoke, he continues to combine Ireland’s tradition of fine furniture making with a distinctly contemporary design language, creating individual pieces intended to bring quality, character and craftsmanship into the spaces they inhabit.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Trevor Hart

  Copy name

  Commercial and advertising photographer, Dublin

  • Sat 5:00PM In a Different Light

  Bio

  With a career spanning four decades, Trevor Hart is a highly distinguished and trusted figure in the photography industry. He established his first professional studio in London during the 1980s and has been working out of his Dublin studio since the mid 1990s.

  Trevor specialises in commercial and advertising image making, photographing people, food, drinks and products. He collaborates with leading ad agencies, brands and marketing teams to deliver campaign imagery all over the world. His work is defined by unique lighting, a collaborative and personal approach, strategic problem solving and visuals that ultimately comminate a brand message.

  Trevor’s longevity and expertise are marked by a series of prestigious accolades and award winning campaigns, notably becoming the first Irish winner of a Gold ICAD award for photography. A proud member of the Association of Photographers and ICAD, where he has served as both a committee member and judge, Trevor is also actively dedicated to mentoring the next generation of industry talent.

  “Even after all this time, I still absolutely love what I do. With every project, I always look for something new and relevant to contribute. I believe, that to make an image memorable, it has to connect. For me lighting is the key to that, creating tone and mood that communicates a feeling, even without words.” TREVOR

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

• 

  Willie Duggan

  Copy name

  Lighting designer and chartered engineer, Willie Duggan Lighting

  • Sat 11:00AM The Feel of a Room
  • Sat 12:30PM Not Blinded by the Light

  Bio

  Willie Duggan is a lighting designer, Chartered Engineer and Managing Director of Willie Duggan Lighting, working at the intersection of light, human health and the built environment. A third-generation lighting designer with a Master’s in Light & Lighting from UCL, Willie is passionate about challenging how we understand and design light, drawing on medicine, biology and nature. Recent international speaking engagements include Enlighten Europe, LIGHT25 London and IALD Enlighten Americas in Austin, where he presents alongside circadian scientist Dr Martin Moore-Ede.

  From designkenmare.comCopy bio

Nobody matches that. Try a first name, a surname or a word from a session title.

No other colours. The guide says never alter the approved combinations or use unapproved background colours.

This page renders in Brockmann on any computer that has it installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox). Safari and phones fall back to Instrument Sans, because the Brockmann licence is desktop only and the font files cannot be served from the web. The samples above are images of the real font.

• Conversations, not lecturesThe festival is 18 conversations. Avoid keynote, lecture and panel speak.
• Plain wordsWrite for the design curious as much as for professionals. Drop industry jargon.
• Place firstName Kenmare and the town. Programming is rooted here, not parachuted in.
• Substance over spectacleReal moments and what was said beat hype and superlatives.
• Connection over hierarchyBig names and emerging regional talent share the same stage. Credit everyone equally.