Jerpoint Glass Studio

Handmade Irish glass shaped by fire, skill and more than four decades of family craft in County Kilkenny.

Jerpoint Glass Studio is one of Ireland’s most distinctive glassmaking businesses, based at Oldtown near Stoneyford in County Kilkenny. Established in 1979 by Keith and Kathleen Leadbetter, the studio grew from a shared passion for traditional glassblowing into an internationally recognised Irish craft brand. Today the family story continues, with the next generation carrying forward the skills, creativity and character that have defined Jerpoint from the beginning.

Every Jerpoint piece is handmade. Working with techniques rooted in around 2,000 years of glassblowing tradition, the studio’s makers gather molten glass from the furnace and shape it by hand into functional pieces designed to be used and enjoyed. No two handmade objects are completely identical, and that sense of movement, individuality and the maker’s hand is part of the appeal.

Colour is central to the Jerpoint identity. The collections take inspiration from the County Kilkenny landscape — wildflowers, gorse, hedgerows and the changing blues and greens of the Irish countryside — and translate those colours into glass that feels both contemporary and unmistakably connected to Ireland. Collections including Clear, BOLD, Festival, Monochrome, Heather, Berry and Seascape offer everything from restrained everyday pieces to expressive colour-led designs.

The range extends across drinkware and homeware, including wine glasses, whiskey glasses, beer glasses, highballs, beakers, carafes, bowls, jugs, bottles, vases, candles and decorative pieces. Jerpoint also creates garden decorations such as glass spirals and orbs, alongside one-off gallery work and gift pieces. The Design & Crafts Council Ireland notes that the studio’s distinctive work has even made cameo appearances in the Harry Potter films.

Jerpoint is particularly rewarding to visit because it remains a working glass studio rather than simply a retail shop. During production hours, visitors can watch skilled glassblowers at close range as red-hot molten glass is transformed into finished pieces. The studio currently operates Monday to Thursday from 10am to 4pm and Friday from 10am to 1pm, while the adjoining shop is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with seasonal Sunday opening.

The shop brings together the full Jerpoint collection, including special and one-off pieces, and the Glass Attic Gallery upstairs adds another layer to the visit with selected work by Irish craftspeople and artists. For anyone interested in Irish design, making and craft, it is a chance not only to buy something made in Ireland but to see the skill and process behind it.

The business also has a strong online presence, shipping nationally and internationally, making Jerpoint equally accessible as an Irish gift brand for customers who cannot visit County Kilkenny in person. From wedding and housewarming gifts to colourful glassware for everyday use, the collection has a broad appeal without losing its handcrafted character.

Why W.ie chose Jerpoint Glass Studio: Jerpoint represents exactly the kind of Irish business W.ie wants to showcase. It is family run, genuinely made in Ireland, rooted in a skilled traditional craft and closely connected to the landscape and creative culture of County Kilkenny. Importantly, it is not only a product brand — visitors can go to the studio, watch glass being blown, meet the craft through the making process and leave with something created on site. That combination of authentic Irish manufacture, strong design, heritage, visitor experience and international reach makes Jerpoint Glass a natural fit for Ireland’s curated shop window.