Kilkenny By Design

Kilkenny By Design. Set in the early sixties, the historic stable yards of Kilkenny Castle become the vibrant backdrop for an innovative design initiative, The Kilkenny Design Workshops. Here, a diverse group of Northern European and Irish artists gather to create a unique fusion of styles, blending traditional techniques with contemporary vision. Central to this story is the Silversmith, a Northern Irish craftsman who feels like an outsider, grappling with his identity as he navigates the South.

As he immerses himself in the bustling creative environment, he meets a local girl longing to escape the place. Her spirited nature and dreams of a different life mesmerise the Silversmith, and their unexpected connection ignites a romance filled with tension and possibility. While he seeks to establish himself as an artist, she wrestles with her desire for freedom from the confines of her hometown and her past.

Against the backdrop of the Castles place in Irish history and the dynamics of the design centre, their love story unfolds, highlighting themes of belonging, creativity, and the quest for personal freedom. As they confront their individual struggles, they discover that love can be a transformative force, leading them both towards a future where they can redefine their identities and dreams.

From the Author - "For some the love of Ireland is a cause for bloody deeds. Whatever the result was, eventually, many were dead on this ineffable green Island by the tattered fringes of Europe, eroding into the sea.

Gazing up at the tricolour writhing and twisting in the breeze, falling and curling around the flagpole high above the Mansion House on Dawson Street. Never still, a symphony of green, white and orange hypnotizing against the ever changing Irish sky. You are nearer yet farther away from anywhere, for here is always an illusion, a deceit from the dampening airs.

Yet by circuitous route it is my flag and my country too." Michael D Hilliar