A new e-commerce platform has been launched to sell arts, crafts, clothing and homeware from Inishowen and the North West all in one place.
www.irishhands.com offers artisans a free online store to showcase and sell their unique products locally, nationally and internationally.
The launch took place on Friday June 7 as part of Inishowen Innovation’s open day in support of “I Love Inishowen Day”.
The launch served as a call to all creatives from the North West – artists, artisans, designers, and makers – to discover how Irish Hands can help elevate their work to new heights and reach a global marketplace.
Launch event for Irish Hands at the ii hub in Buncrana.
Anne Marie McLaughlin, Innovation Manager at the ii, expressed her excitement: “We were really delighted to host the hugely successful launch event for Irish Hands. It was great to have a talented crowd of creatives here at the ii, showcasing the amazing talent we have up here to complement our incredible landscapes!
This event provided an excellent opportunity for the ii to demonstrate its commitment to providing networking, technology and practical supports to businesses in all sectors in the peninsula, and Irish Hands looks like a gamechanger for those working in the culture and tourism sectors here.”
Eileen Doherty and Shane Kirby, founder of Irish Hands
Shane Kirby, founder of Irish Hands, shared his delight, saying: “The launch event at the ii hub was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the beauty and brilliance of our local craftsmanship – and thanks to the help of Anne Marie and the ii team it was a great success”.
“My new platform is designed to support local makers from Inishowen and the wider North West by providing each creative with a free, customised online store to display and sell their unique products locally, nationally, and internationally – with a special emphasis on high-quality items and promoting those artisans who are bridging ancient traditions with contemporary flair!”
Shane Kirby concluded: “I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all creatives and makers from Inishowen and the wider North West to check out www.irishhands.com, which goes live this week, and hopefully consider becoming part of the ‘Irish Hands’ family in the future.”