Abstract

With a focus on the Republic of Ireland as a starting point, this paper will consider the evolution of Applied Art or Craft Practice within a developing independent nation from the 1920's. it will consider the impact of WW2 on the Irish Craft practices on both sides of the border, with specific focus on aesthetic trends, histories and and hierarchies. The development of Irish visual arts and crafts did not receive the same recognition as the written word, poetry, literature and drama in 20th Century Ireland. This paper seeks to explore and highlight one strand of that, linked strongly to a sense of national identity, that of Irish Craft practice. The paper will trace the major developments of Irish Craft Culture throughout the 20th Century in Ireland, with focus on the rural crafts, the urban crafts, state sponsorship of same, and the contemporary context of Irish Craft Practice.