Dragon Herbs History
Eleanor
first studied fibre crafts in Cardiff College of Art in 1970’s.
Her path led into a career later in organic horticulture, fine art and natural medicine. Eleanor formed the company ‘Dragon Herbs and Design’ in 1980 when she relocated from Wales to Ireland. Dragon Herbs and Design exhibited throughout the 1980’s and 90’s in Showcase under The Crafts Council of Ireland and sold plants and fibre craft items with a herbal theme to craft outlets all over the world as far away as Alaska and Japan.
In the 1980’s a small group of craft workers got together and formed a co-op called West Wicklow Cottage Crafts following some very successful Christmas Fairs in Downshire House Hotel. Eleanor was one of the founders of this group.
The group went on to open a small crafts outlet in Russborough House under the auspices of Lady Beit.
One of the members was Tommy Byrne of Ballymore Eustace, a marvellous woodturner, now sadly deceased. Tommy had some spinning wheels that he made and exhibited at the Downshire House Hotel and Russborough. Tommy was delighted when Eleanor started spinning with one of his wheels and this was the start of many years of demonstrating wool spinning throughout Ireland.
The little crafts outlet in the Old Laundry has long ceased trading when it became victim to its own success in some ways, with the members finding it difficult to man the shop and run the business while also producing from home.
In 2011 a few people in Hollywood came together to plan the first Hollywood Fair. The Hollywood Fair was conceived as a day of fun, to recreate the past times as they used to be and needless to say, Eleanor was involved in this project and demonstrated spinning and old herbal remedies along with organising the traditional skills demonstration area. The Hollywood Fair has been very successful and led to the All-Ireland Sheep Shearing competion being held in Punchestown in 2012 where Eleanor spun the fleeces into wool straight from the competition shearers.
Eleanor now runs The Weavery in The Bridge Community, Camphill, Kilcullen and studies weaving under the direction of Caratha Carr, master weaver of the Donegal tradition, past handweaver in Kilkenny design and Avoca Handweavers. Eleanor has realised her lifelong held ambition of living her life combining Herb cultivation, a Healing practice and Fibre crafts in the mountains of Wicklow.
Her path led into a career later in organic horticulture, fine art and natural medicine. Eleanor formed the company ‘Dragon Herbs and Design’ in 1980 when she relocated from Wales to Ireland. Dragon Herbs and Design exhibited throughout the 1980’s and 90’s in Showcase under The Crafts Council of Ireland and sold plants and fibre craft items with a herbal theme to craft outlets all over the world as far away as Alaska and Japan.
In the 1980’s a small group of craft workers got together and formed a co-op called West Wicklow Cottage Crafts following some very successful Christmas Fairs in Downshire House Hotel. Eleanor was one of the founders of this group.
The group went on to open a small crafts outlet in Russborough House under the auspices of Lady Beit.
One of the members was Tommy Byrne of Ballymore Eustace, a marvellous woodturner, now sadly deceased. Tommy had some spinning wheels that he made and exhibited at the Downshire House Hotel and Russborough. Tommy was delighted when Eleanor started spinning with one of his wheels and this was the start of many years of demonstrating wool spinning throughout Ireland.
The little crafts outlet in the Old Laundry has long ceased trading when it became victim to its own success in some ways, with the members finding it difficult to man the shop and run the business while also producing from home.
In 2011 a few people in Hollywood came together to plan the first Hollywood Fair. The Hollywood Fair was conceived as a day of fun, to recreate the past times as they used to be and needless to say, Eleanor was involved in this project and demonstrated spinning and old herbal remedies along with organising the traditional skills demonstration area. The Hollywood Fair has been very successful and led to the All-Ireland Sheep Shearing competion being held in Punchestown in 2012 where Eleanor spun the fleeces into wool straight from the competition shearers.
Eleanor now runs The Weavery in The Bridge Community, Camphill, Kilcullen and studies weaving under the direction of Caratha Carr, master weaver of the Donegal tradition, past handweaver in Kilkenny design and Avoca Handweavers. Eleanor has realised her lifelong held ambition of living her life combining Herb cultivation, a Healing practice and Fibre crafts in the mountains of Wicklow.