Carlow Launched Five-Year Strategy to Strengthen Craft and Creative Enterprise Across the County

People standing with a report

Carlow County Council, through Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Carlow, launched the Craft & Creative Industries Enterprise Strategy 2026-2030 at a lunchtime event in Teach Dolmain, Carlow on Tuesday 7th July. The new five-year strategy set out a plan to strengthen creative enterprise across the county and to support the makers, designers and creative entrepreneurs who work within it.

The launch brought together craftspeople, designers, creative business owners and supporters of the sector from across County Carlow. Attendees heard how the strategy would guide investment in the county's craft and creative industries over the coming five years, with a focus on building sustainable creative businesses and raising the profile of Carlow-made work at home and abroad.

Alongside the strategy itself, LEO Carlow announced its upcoming programme of supports for makers and creatives. The programme included two trade missions, giving Carlow's creative businesses the opportunity to reach new markets, and a series of new academies designed to build the business skills of those working in the creative sector.

Reflecting on the launch event, Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise in Carlow County Council noted 'Carlow has a depth of creative talent that deserves real, practical support. This strategy gives us a clear plan for the next five years, and we are backing it from day one with international trade missions and new academies to build the business skills of our makers and creatives. Our message to the sector is simple: if you are making a living from your craft, or want to, LEO Carlow is here to help you grow.'

The strategy recognised the craft and creative industries as a significant contributor to enterprise and employment in County Carlow, and as a sector with strong potential for growth. It set out how Carlow County Council would work with the creative community to develop that potential, from supporting individual makers at the start of their business journey to helping established creative enterprises scale and export.

The launch event itself reflected the collaborative approach at the heart of the strategy. Held over lunch and open to all, it was designed to bring Carlow's craft and creative community together in one room, to connect practitioners with one another and with the supports available to them, and to invite the sector to help shape its own future.

Speaking about the importance of creativity in County Carlow, Cllr Ken Murnane, Mayor of Carlow Municipal District, mentioned 'The craft and creative industries are part of who we are as a county, and they are also serious businesses that create jobs and bring life to our towns and villages. In adopting this strategy, Carlow County Council made a commitment to the people behind those businesses. The turnout at today showed the energy in the sector, and I look forward to seeing Carlow's creative enterprises go from strength to strength over the next five years'.

Details of upcoming trade missions and multiple academies, specifically designed for Carlow-based creatives, were given at the event, with more to be announced. Further information on dates, eligibility and how to take part can be found via the links below: