Irish Enterprise Awards 2021

EU BUSINESS NEWS /2021 Irish Enterprise Awards 57 Feb21279 Best Glass Artist 2021 Local, small businesses were one of the worst-hit sectors during the pandemic. Artist Sue Donnellan tells us about her experience as a small business owner, and how she successfully weathered the COVID-19 stormwhilst building up her outstanding business as one of Ireland’s best glass artists. Dublin-native Sue Donnellan is a stained glass and kiln- fused glass artist who has been in business for more than 10 years, creating and selling her bespoke glass gifts under the name Glass Craft. Based along the Wild Atlantic Way, Sue is inspired by the western shores, in particular Connemara, with its raw magical beauty, and she enjoys exploring the relationship between light and colour – something which is evident in her beautiful, contemporary stained glass lamps, kiln fused dichroic jewellery, driftwood and glass sculptures, copper work and bespoke candle holders. Each piece of Sue's unique work is an embodiment of her passion for working with glass, but it is also her strong customer focus which helps set her business aside from competitors. “At Glass Craft, we pride ourselves on our high levels of service and ensuring a positive customer experience within every aspect of the business, it puts a smile on our face and love it when customers write five-star reviews on our social media sites!” Sue enthuses. “Our customers like the fact that they can get a very unique and personalised gift that they won't see anywhere else.” The studio is situated directly across from Spiddal Beach, or Trá an Spidéil, which looks across the great expanse of Galway Bay to the unique Burren region, the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, meaning that Sue’s main customer base is usually visiting tourists from abroad, touring the Wild Atlantic Way. When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived however, the way Glass Craft operated changed dramatically overnight and having an online presence really helped the business. During the pandemic, Sue noticed an emerging trend for customers wanting larger, more beautiful items in their home due to them remaining in their homes for longer periods. She saw more people ‘treating themselves’ to more expensive items, such as her stained glass lamps, that bring a rainbow of colour into a home, as well as her bespoke kiln fused glass pictures which can be hung on the walls. “We actually benefitted greatly during the pandemic from being in such a scenic area,” explains Sue. “There were a lot of Irish ‘staycationers’ that were allowed to travel in-between lockdowns, so they came to this beautiful area. A lot of Irish people really got behind shopping local and supporting Irish craft, and we were overwhelmed by the response, part of our workshop quickly turned into a collection point and packing area!” As well as offering unusual gifts to visitors and tourists, Sue also creates commission pieces for clients, ensuring she keeps in close contact with them, updating them on the progress with step-by-step images of the creation, from design through to completion, to ensure complete customer satisfaction. The internal culture of Glass Craft is relaxed and, being based in the Gaeltacht area (an Irish speaking region of Galway), Sue is keen to employ staff that speak the Irish language in order to engage with the locals, as well as to encourage visitors to the studio take away a few words of Irish away with them. In fact, her newest recruit is Sue’s nephew, Patrick O’Hare, who is not only an artist himself who has developed his own masterful skillset in stained glass under the thorough tutelage of his aunt, but is also fluent in the mother tongue. Regarding the future, Sue is eager to continue to keep coming up with unique ideas and designs, inspired by the beautiful nature of her surroundings. She is currently working on a new lamp creation which can be shipped anywhere in the world. Everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty of what Sue has to offer through Glass Craft, and the uniqueness of having these items on display in a personal space. As people continue to look for new ways to make their home or work space inspiring to them until the end of lockdown, Sue provides them with bespoke gifts that are as stunning as they are special. Company: Of the Earth Artworks / Glass Craft Contact: Sue Donnellan Website: www.glasscraft.ie