So… this actually happened. Stories by Ola won the Irish Made Award 2025 in the Home category!
It still feels surreal. For the past three years, I’ve been shortlisted twice in Home and once in Gift, and every time I thought, “That’s already huge.” I never really expected to win. So when my name was called this year, I just stood there grinning like a fool.
This award means a lot because it recognises exactly what I care about most – Irish design, Irish craft, and making things that feel like home. Every piece I create starts in my little Kitchen Studio at Ardgillan Castle, shaped by hand, slowly and imperfectly, from sandy clay inspired by the Irish coastline. To be recognised in the Home category feels right. That’s where my work belongs – in real homes, used, loved, chipped a little maybe, but still standing.
The Irish Made Awards celebrate the makers who keep producing locally, even when it’s not the easiest or cheapest route. It’s a nice reminder that doing things the slow way still matters.
I’m so grateful to everyone who voted, supported, and believed in me, to Irish Country Magazine for giving small makers a big stage, and to all of you who bring my work into your everyday rituals. You make this creative chaos worth it.
Now… back to the studio. There’s clay waiting, a cup of coffee getting cold, and probably a dog sitting where he shouldn’t.
TL;DR: I won the Irish Made Award! My hands are still muddy, but my heart’s full.
