Following on from a successful event on Saturday the 14th May, where over 50 people attended with
stories to tell of Arklow Pottery, the Arklow Pottery Online project team are inviting those who
could not attend, to come on another ‘Trip Down Memory Lane’ this Thursday, May 26, from
2pm to 4pm in Arklow Library.
The ‘Arklow Pottery Online’ project aims to create a digital pottery database, photo archive and
oral history record capturing the history and heritage of Arklow Pottery. The project, when
completed, will be accessible via a new website where it will be available for future generations
to engage with and learn about the heritage of one of regions most important social and
economic entities.
The project is funded by a Heritage Council grant of €20,000, and this grant will be used to bring
together the stories of Arklow Pottery through video recordings, and to create an online
database of backstamps and pottery patterns, as well as a new ‘Arklow Pottery Heritage Trail’
linking key locations related to the Arklow Pottery story.
Allison Ryder of Arklow Town Team says: “There has been a fantastic response to the Arklow
Pottery Online project so far and the project team is delighted that so many people are
interested and willing to participate. If you worked in the Pottery or in Noritake at any stage
please get in touch or come along on Thursday for a chat and a cuppa to share your knowledge
and stories!”
The next stage of the project will see well-known heritage practitioner Michael Fortune of
folklore.ie record the stories of any individuals who would like to go on film. The project team
also welcome anyone to make contact who is knowledgeable about backstamps and patterns to
assist antiques expert in coordinating the database. For anyone with old memorabilia,
photographs, video or interesting pottery collections, the team is working with Eamonn & Karen
Bermingham of Arklow Photo & Framing to compiling new photography of key pottery pieces
and digitizing all the old photos and videos for use on the new website.
The ’Trip Down Memory Lane’ is open to anyone who worked in Arklow Pottery or had a
connection to it, and who would like to contribute their knowledge or stories to the project.
To make a contribution please contact the project team – email arklowpottery@gmail.com or
call Allison on 089 4414442 or find details on the Arklow Town Team Facebook page.
This project is funded by the Heritage Council and Arklow Town Team would like to extend their
gratitude to them for this funding.
