Nominee for Best in the Creative Industry

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Saille Baskets is keeping history alive and kicking!

Diane works alone in her studio in the boggy mountains of Banteer and she wouldn‘t have it any other way. She’s been weaving baskets for over 20 years and in 2020, she took a chance.

She attended the Showcase in the RDS to see if her work was of interest to retailers throughout Ireland, and it went even better than she hoped. Not only were more than ten stores interested in stocking her work, but she walked away with an award for her contemporary honeypot basket; an incredible first step out for a new business.

When Covid closed doors, Diane took to the internet. On social media, she showed off beautiful baskets, heartfelt tokens of old Éire to send to loved ones with a note, all of this during a time when travel wasn’t allowed. “This kept my little business afloat during that tough time. I will always be thankful to them for that, and they were equally as thankful to me making something very special and handmade for loved ones to mark an occasion. It felt very personal”. Diane prides herself on how carbon positive her business is. She grows the willow herself and no chemicals, dyes, or machines are used. There is no waste, as anything not used is composted. She’s also incredibly proud of the homeliness of it all. It’s a 100% Irish business: Growing and weaving is done here, and to round it all off, she uses An Post for their postage. Diane teaches these unique skills to those who are interested, sometimes even on a one-to-one basis.

She provides the materials, and students are welcomed to her studio for a full day in small classes of 7. It’s an incredible feat to see such traditions return and be passed along. The quality of Saille Baskets is beautiful and Diane often repaires old baskets too. In the future, Diane hopes to continue to supply shops throughout Ireland and the US, and expand the knowledge further through a basketry school or apprentices. Growth and supply of willow for other makers is also a possibility. Basketry is of course an art and she is looking for developing more contemporary art for exhibitions, as well as further her own knowledge through experimentation and learning from other cultures.

“I’m delighted to be shortlisted, it’s lovely to recieve recognition for my work and my small business.”