Speakers & Hosts

Annie Atkins is best known for her work as a graphic artist in the film industry, having designed for many Oscar-nominated-and-winning movies, such as Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, as well as Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Her first book prompted Jeff Goldblum to write that “Annie makes the unreal seem hyperreal, and the real more supremely alive and utterly magical”.

Dublin-born artist Maser, who first made his mark in the graffiti scene in 1995, has risen to prominence in the international art world. His career, rooted in a deep connection to urban environments and their communities, showcases his journey from the streets of Dublin to global acclaim. Maser’s educational background in fine art and visual communications, highlighted by an award from the International Society of Typographic Designers.

Amanda Bone Architect MRIAI Company:   www.dta.ie   www.amandabonearchitects.ie

Architect Amanda Bone worked in Paris, New York and Dublin prior to establishing Amanda Bone Architects in 2000, a multi award winning architectural practice specialising in one-off individual houses ranging from contemporary new build to the refurbishment of protected structures.

Since 2020 Amanda has also been working with DTA Architects, a design oriented practice with particular expertise in high density sites and typological innovation, and recognised as a leading practice in residential design and sustainability across various scales and sectors for both public and private clients.  Amanda is also a judge on the RTE series Home of The Year.

Linda Brownlee’s work, as both photographer and director, moves between the worlds of portraiture, fashion,and documentary. Her work has been shown in group shows at London’s National Portrait Gallery, Tate Liverpool, Photo Museum Ireland & IMMA. Linda’s monographs include ‘Achill’ published in 2010 by Eighty One Books.  Her photography has featured regularly in publications such as British Vogue, The New York Times, Dazed & Confused and the Guardian magazines.

Rich Gilligan is a photographer from Dublin. He began making his own zines as a teenager and went on to become a skateboard photographer. He now shoots a wide range of commissioned projects while continuing to pursue his own personal work. From 2015-2021 Rich was based in New York. He is now based in Wicklow where he continues to work on projects worldwide.

Bryan O’Sullivan Studio was founded in 2013 and today has teams established in both central London and New York City. The studio works with clients globally to produce contemporary, liveable design informed by an elegant and eclectic European point of view. Projects span residential, hospitality, restaurants, bars and maritime. Bryan finds exquisite details and inspiration everywhere he goes absorbing the nuances and details that make everyday living exceptional.

Jenny Huston is an Irish-Canadian radio DJ, author, and award-winning jewellery designer. After a decade on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ 2fm, she launched Edge Only in 2014, her multi award-winning sustainable fine jewellery brand. Known for bold, minimalist statement pieces crafted in 100% recycled gold and sterling silver, Edge Only champions clean, genderless design and ethical luxury — precious metal jewellery with a point of difference.

Marc Fish is a British designer and maker celebrated for pushing the boundaries between fine furniture, sculpture, and design art. Blending meticulous craftsmanship with experimental techniques, Fish creates works that explore the relationship between nature, form, and material innovation. His practice sits at the crossroads of traditional woodworking and contemporary design, with a particular focus on layered construction, biomorphic forms, and the tactile elegance of natural materials.

Fingal Ferguson is a world renowned knife designer.  The West Cork farmer, food producer and knifemaker combines form and function in his handmade knives. Growing up as the fifth generation on Gubbeen Farm, Fingal learned that for every job there was a knife, and a good, solid knife was always an essential tool.

Paul Galvin works at the intersection of design and sport. His design and storytelling examines everything from stadium architecture, seating plans, pitch lines and play designs in NFL to hurley-making, club crests, & victory-speeches. Language is used in a specific and culturally appropriate way to design, storytell and market his brand at Dunnes Stores. His latest story, BAS, communicates the essence of hurling.

Darrell Kavanagh is Managing Director of Image Now and co-founded the company in 1993. For the last three decades he has advised and directed clients on design strategies, becoming an internationally recognised authority on the strategic value of brand identity, and the role it plays in business, culture and society. 

Darrell has established a remarkable track record for Irish design including the iconic Riverdance identity system, MTV, Sony Playstation and the UN.  

James O’Neill bridges the commercial and creative worlds, with a career spanning music, fashion, and design. Beginning in Dublin as the frontman of electro-pop band Bitches With Wolves. Moving to London with time in PR and fashion, he joined Bryan O’Sullivan Studio nearly a decade ago, where he is now Commercial Director, overseeing strategy, operations, and client relations for the internationally recognized design practice.  Alongside this, James has recently returned to music under the project Chimera, with his single Tokyo Love Motel released in September and more tracks set to follow in 2026.

Gráinne Kavanagh opened the Coach House in 2012 with a desire to bring the very best of Irish design & craft to Dingle. Her passion for interiors & Irish design has seen the shops offering expand to now represent over 40 Irish makers & designers. A passionate Irish speaker who uses her native language daily in her interactions in The Coach House where customers are encouraged to share the cúpla focal.

Dermot Bannon is one of Ireland’s leading architects and also the host of RTÉ’s immensely popular series, Room to Improve.

A graduate of the Hull School of Architecture, Dermot runs his own practice, Dermot Bannon Architects, established in 2008. His design philosophy is centered on the principle that good design should fundamentally enhance daily living.

Dermot’s signature architectural style champions three core elements: maximising natural light, creating open-plan layouts, and forging a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces. As an influential voice in Irish design and the author of Love Your Home, Dermot encourages audiences to unlock their property’s full potential and embrace transformative, functional architecture.

Mark Joyce owns and manages Joyce’s Craft Shop in Connemara.  The shop was established in 1895 and has been trading for over four generations. Joyces prides itself on showcasing the work of Ireland’s best craftspeople and finest makers. The craft shop also celebrates more established makers and designers with the ‘Connemara Design Story’ project. Mark also works as a writer and illustrator. His books ‘Mythical Irish Beasts’ ‘Mythical Irish Wonders’ and ‘Mythical Irish Places’ are available in all good bookshops.

Deirdra McBeth is a brand strategist and creative industries consultant with over 18 years’ experience across luxury hospitality, drinks, design, and regional economic development. Formerly with Irish Distillers and Adare Manor, she now works at the intersection of design, tourism, and enterprise, helping businesses, local authorities, and creative founders unlock new value. 

Based in County Clare, Deirdra leads initiatives with the Institute of Designers in Ireland and the Western Development Commission to strengthen Ireland’s regional design ecosystem.

Simon Ronan is founder of Simon Ronan Landscape Architects, a studio of 14 landscape architects based in rural Skibbereen, West Cork. The practice collaborates with some of the world’s leading international architects on landmark projects across the world. Its work spans luxury hotels, major cultural landscapes, and visionary masterplans, always with a focus on creating places that are pushing the boundaries of contemporary design and ecologically attuned.

Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey established Irish Design Shop in 2008 as a space to celebrate the very best in Irish craft and design. The shop ethos has always been to represent traditional heritage crafts and makers from all over Ireland. Clare and Laura to collaborate with skilled craftspeople on special collections developed exclusively for Irish Design Shop.Their high level of retail experience is carried through to the website, where importance is placed on high-quality photography, styling, and usability.

2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the Names jewellery brand, created by Clare and Laura in 2015. Each piece of jewellery, crafted by hand, is named after a woman who inspires Clare and Laura, be they family members, disrupters, or fellow makers. To mark 10 years of the brand, a new collection is due to launch in the Autumn.

Roisin Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of her Dublin-based design house. Best known for their captivating environments and uncompromising, deliberate detail focus in their interior architecture. Projects range from high end residential, to hotels, one of a kind work environments, beauty experiences, members clubs, installations and restaurants, spanning international locations including Nashville, Miami, New York, Ireland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and France. 

Steve Doogan is an award-winning illustrator.  Best known for his best selling books with the writer Manchan Magan, including Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature and many others. He recently illustrated the new logo for the Abbey Theatre & created art for the Croke Park GAA Museum. 

Communications expert Róisín Buckley is company director at creative agency Piquant. A former RTÉ Producer, Róisín has twenty years of communications, production and creative project management experience. Her vast experience includes strategic communications, video production, campaign management, social media marketing, and digital brand elevation. 

Jerry O'Sullivan is a Kenmare native and a multi award winning broadcast journalist with almost 30 experience in radio. 

Having started out in Radio Kerry then moved to Dublin, part of the team that set up Newstalk. While there he won several national radio awards for news and sports coverage and was appointed the station's sports editor in 2006.

In 2010 he returned to Kenmare and to Radio Kerry where he has presented the flagship current affairs show Kerry Today for the past 15 years. This year he won a silver award at the New York Festivals Radio Awards for his documentary 'Gloryhunter - Kerry's Indian Killer'.