Ceadogán Rugmakers started out as a bespoke hearth rug business in Wexford town in 1981 under dye house master Tom Ceadogain.
Passing on the tradition for a new Ceadogán era.
In 1989 Ceadogán Rugs was acquired by Denis Kenny and Fiona Gilboy, Denis having undertaken an apprenticeship with Tom (after stints as a fisherman, teacher and farmer! The long and winding road!) Over thirty years with Denis and Fiona at the helm Ceadogán Rugmakers went from a small hearth rug business to a leading maker of fine bespoke rugs and wall hangings. Works from Cedogán Rugmakers can now be found hanging or lying all around the globe.
A family tradition of craft and creativity.
In 2020 the baton was passed once more and Colm Kenny and Martina Navrátilová took the reins having spent several years deeply involved in the running of Ceadogán Rugmakers. In good keeping with Ceadogán tradition both Martina and Colm found their way to the craft of rug making via the scenic route with backgrounds in fine art and furniture ( and a few other detours along the way!)
Our People
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA
Martina hails from the city of Brno in the Czech republic, having completed a masters degree in fine art she travelled to Ireland in 2006.
She spent seven years living and working as an artist in Connemara before moving to Wexford in 2012.
“I have always been fascinated by architecture and design. There was so much change growing up in Brno, transitioning from communism to democracy. Our unchanging architectural heritage was the constant I found to be a great source of grounding comfort for me and I found myself drawn to the wonderful buildings we were surrounded by. Beautiful buildings from the art nouveau and modernist movements like the Villa Tugendhat and the Villa Low-Beer.”
COLM KENNY
Colm grew up in the yard in Barrystown and has seen it unfold through many guises over the years. “There were spells of cattle and sheep farming, some pig farming and we had strawberries and other crops here at times”
Colm studied Furniture design before undertaking an apprenticeship with Conservation Letterfrack in Connemara. He worked there as a furniture conservator for several years before setting up Nós Conservation Ltd. which has been operating from the yard in Barrystown since 2011.
“It was always design and craftsmanship that drew me to the world of conservation and restoration, I have had the privilege of working up close on some really stunning pieces from all styles and ages in both private and public collections. What all these pieces have in common is that they have survived the tests of time, usually due in no small part to good design and craftsmanship.”
There is an inherent need to engage with a wide range of materials and skills as a furniture restorer particularly textiles and upholstery, and so it was quite a natural and gradual transition for Colm to the craft of rug making when he returned to his homeplace in 2011.
We remain true to our roots - fiercely independent, committed to our local heritage and tradition of exceptional craftsmanship.
We now work with a team of eight people united in our passion for design and making. We are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in our craft and pride in our work.
Our workshop and showroom are situated in the family homestead, a stone walled farmyard that dates back to the 1600s, overlooking Bannow Bay Estuary in Co. Wexford.
A Family Business
As a family business Ceadogán Rugmakers holds its core values of quality and sustainability very close to heart. We work with the finest natural materials to produce lasting pieces of beauty and integrity. Our workshop and showroom are situated in our family homestead, a stone walled farmyard dating back to the 17th century.
Living and working from our family home deeply roots and grounds us in our surroundings and instills a sense of pride, belonging and commitment to our craft and trade. We believe passionately that our choices and actions can have a positive impact on our immediate environment and nourish our connections with the natural world and its cycles.
