BELLEEK Pottery in Fermanagh, Ireland’s oldest working pottery, has been commissioned to supply a personalised dinner service to the Ceann Comhairle’s (Dail speaker's) dining room in Dublin.
The order came as a result of Leinster House catering manager Ken Nolan’s interest and commitment to sourcing a European or Irish made bespoke product.
Working closely with Belleek head of design Fergus Cleary, two new shapes for the dining service were developed adding to the iconic Galway Weave tableware originally designed by Belleek designer Claire Rowe and hand-made in Belleek.
“We'd been looking for a dinner service that demonstrates the quality and unique design that highlights excellence in its craft and had a number of options available to us at similar cost, but Belleek came to the fore with their Galway Weave pattern," Ken said.
“It seemed a great fit for the private dining room in Leinster House where the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl hosts events and dinners for visiting worldwide delegations."
Belleek Group managing director John Maguire said: “It is a privilege to have Belleek at the table where heads of state and other distinguished visitors dine when they are guests of the Parliament of Ireland. We wanted to make this a special presentation and have included the Oireachtas insignia and a special Belleek trademark stamp on each piece.
“We are immensely proud of this commission.W have been working alongside Mr Nolan and his staff to perfect the range and look forward to a continued relationship with Leinster House.”
Mr Nolan added: “First and foremost, we were looking for a bespoke made and manufactured product with a strong story of craft and a connection to Ireland would have been fantastic. We were familiar with this wonderful brand and its 162-year history.
“Undoubtedly we were looking for a product of excellent quality and durability but only required a small personalised collection with the larger European brands all having a high minimum order requirement.
“Belleek met our criteria one hundred per cent. We are also delighted with the detail of The Oireachtas logo too which makes the dining experience more special for our guests and visitors.”
