Ardmore Pottery & Gallery in county Waterford is up and running since 1982. Now, four decades later, the studio is just as dedicated to celebrating Irish craft as it was when it first opened.
Katie Lincoln is the daughter of potter, Mary Lincoln, who set up Ardmore Pottery & Gallery in county Waterford four decades ago. Originally intended as a space to make and create her own pottery, it has since evolved into so much more.
Stocking all Irish made craftwork, Ardmore Pottery & Gallery is a touchstone for the celebration and preservation of Irish craft. Here, we chat with Katie on what the company means for Irish craft in 2026.
Tell us about Ardmore Pottery & Gallery and what you do.
When I was growing up my Mum had a tiny shop with her pottery workshop, just stocking her own pottery. However over the last 40 years the shop has organically grown – firstly stocking the work of other crafts workers from the surrounding area and then expanding to stock work from over 150 makers and artists from all over the country.
We are really proud to just stock Irish made products and to our knowledge that is quite rare in a shop. There is such a wealth of quality and beautiful work being made in every pocket of the country that it is a pleasure to work in this way. We have kept true to the original vision for the shop and we still make our small batch pottery here on site in our workshop – so customers can see what’s going on here when they visit.
Looking back over more than four decades, what are you most proud of?
We are most proud of the fact that we showcase work from so many craftworkers, designers and artists from all over the country. We are also proud that we have remained true to this original vision for the shop – started by my Mum and Dad back in the early 80’s and now being continued on by my husband and I.
How has the studio evolved since those early days?
The pottery workshop has evolved over the years but in lots of ways it has also stayed the same. We still manage to fit everything into our small workshop built literally into the cliffside. The pottery is still small batch and only available at our shop. We have two ranges of pottery, both made from earthenware clay. The Traditional Ardmore Pottery range was designed back in the early 80’s and is bright blue and decorated freehand with sea sponges. The Mary Lincoln Ceramics range is more recent and is full of joyful colour and pattern.
Now more of us are involved in the workshop. My Mum is in her 70’s. She is still making but we are also actively learning from her all the time. For example the glaze recipes that were once just in her head or scribbled on a wall of the workshop – we try now to document them. We are also learning how to paint her many, many designs.
Why is it so important to preserve traditional pottery skills in Ireland? And what role does Ardmore play in that?
Pottery is one traditional craft of Ireland. I think nurturing all our traditional crafts is so important. It is part of who we are. From the big makers to the person who is making in their shed in the back garden. In this time when so much is mass produced I think celebrating the quality and diversity of the work being made here is becoming more valued which is a great thing, I think Ardmore Pottery plays a role in this by stocking so many craft workers from all over the island of Ireland. Almost every county in the country is represented in our shop.
What do you envision for the future of Ardmore and how it may continue to evolve for a modern audience?
We will continue to seek out exciting new Irish makers, craft workers and artists for our shop. Through their work I think we will keep evolving as a shop into the future. Hopefully we’ll continue to be a place that people can come to enjoy all of this in a really unique setting.
