Dúil

Dúil is creating some blooming lovely designs! Rieleen Bn Uí Dhuinnín came to Ireland in 2011 initially as an Au Pair from South Africa, and later worked as a Yoga Instructor. Creation was always present, be it during arts and crafts with her children or as therapy for herself. She had considered selling these creations, but self doubt was too big a hurdle.

With COVID, her avenues for teaching ceased, poor internet didn’t allow for online classes, and personal reasons made her take a leap.

Her home in Clondrohid is surrounded by nature, and from here she takes huge inspiration for her pieces. She creates intriguing, colourful pieces, often in small numbers to keep her work bespoke.

She started with earrings, and over time expanded to include broaches, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Each of her collections is inspired by something around her and offer a range of designs; the GAEL collection of big, bright, and bold earrings, to the sleek elegant statement earrings of the Gráinne collection, and her Afraic collection calls back to her roots in South Africa.

There is no machinery in her process; just polymer clay, blades, and imagination.

All of her work is done with sustainability in mind; her packaging is plastic free, and everything is reused or recycled.

As the business blossoms, Rieleen looks to a future with employees and even more of a variety in her design.

Facebook: duil.ireland

Instagram: duil.ireland

Email: duil.ireland@gmail.com

Website: duilireland.ie

I’m absolutely thrilled that my little business, Dúil, has been nominated for the IRD Duhallow Business Awards. As a small business, it is easy to sometimes get overlooked or at least feel overlooked, so it is a wonderful honour and privilege to be a finalist, no matter the outcome.

The acknowledgement this nomination brings has given me an extra bit of confidence for the busy retail season ahead and I’m looking forward to see what the next few months have in store for me.