Nicholas Mosse Pottery

Handmade Irish pottery with fifty years of craft, colour and character at its heart.

Set in an old stone mill beside the River Nore in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Nicholas Mosse Pottery is one of Ireland’s most recognisable craft businesses. Founded by Nicholas and Susan Mosse in 1976, the pottery has grown from a small family enterprise into a much-loved Irish brand while keeping the making process firmly rooted in Bennettsbridge. In 2026, Nicholas Mosse celebrates fifty years of designing and making pottery in Ireland.

The inspiration reaches back much further. Nicholas Mosse set out to revive the spirit of traditional Irish spongeware — the practical, simply shaped pottery once used in Irish homes — and give it a distinctive contemporary life. The familiar floral, landscape and nature-inspired patterns are applied using cut sponges, an age-old decorating technique associated with 18th-century pottery. That combination of traditional method, joyful pattern and everyday usefulness has become the unmistakable Nicholas Mosse signature.

Every piece is still made by hand. The pottery describes a careful 20-step process that begins with preparing its own earthenware clay and continues through forming, throwing, drying, fettling, slip dipping, firing, decorating, glazing and final firing. Skilled decorators apply the patterns individually, so although the designs are recognisable, the human hand remains visible in every finished piece. Nicholas Mosse personally trains the decorators who carry on this distinctive craft tradition.

The collection is designed to be lived with rather than simply displayed. Mugs, bowls, plates, jugs and serving pieces sit alongside vases, cache pots, lamps, storage jars, kitchenware and other home accessories. Patterns such as Old Rose, Fuchsia, Wild Flower Meadow, Forget Me Not, Red Blooms, Clover and the Lawn collections bring colour and personality to everyday tables, while wedding, housewarming and special-event gifts have made Nicholas Mosse pottery part of family celebrations in Ireland and far beyond.

A visit to Bennettsbridge adds another dimension to the story. The pottery, shop and café are housed in the old Mosse family mill overlooking the River Nore. Visitors can browse the full pottery and textile collections, discover Irish-made homeware and gifts, and see into the working pottery through viewing windows when the team is at work. There is free parking on site, and no booking is required for a general visit.

The riverside café makes the pottery a particularly enjoyable stop on a Kilkenny day out. It serves freshly baked scones, light lunches, sweet treats and coffee, with gluten-free options available, and the old mill setting gives the whole experience a strong connection to place. Bennettsbridge is only a short drive from Kilkenny City and close to Junction 9 of the M9, making Nicholas Mosse an easy addition to an Ireland’s Ancient East itinerary.

Sustainability and longevity are part of the appeal too. The business emphasises environmentally responsible handmade production and creates pottery intended to be used for years. Rather than chasing disposable trends, the pieces are designed to become familiar objects around the home — used for morning coffee, family meals, celebrations and the everyday rituals that gradually turn good design into something personal.

Why W.ie chose Nicholas Mosse Pottery: Few businesses fit the idea of Ireland’s curated shop window as naturally as Nicholas Mosse. It combines genuine Irish making, a craft tradition with deep roots, distinctive design, a family story, an online international presence and a visitor experience in a beautiful historic setting. Fifty years after it began, the pottery is still being made by hand in Bennettsbridge and still feels unmistakably Irish. It is exactly the kind of enduring, authentic business W.ie wants both visitors and people at home to discover, visit, support and pass on to the next generation.