Making Stained Glass for Beamish Stout
The finished stained glass piece for Beamish Stout. More process photos below.
When Beamish approached us about creating a bespoke piece for their ‘Breakthrough’ campaign, we knew straight away that a bespoke stained glass panel was the perfect medium.
Beamish has been brewed in Cork since 1792 and has always celebrated authenticity, craftsmanship and Irish heritage. Their brief was to create a contemporary piece of pub artwork that reflected those values while feeling at home in modern Irish pubs.
For us, the answer was obvious.
Traditional stained glass windows and decorative stained glass panels have been part of Irish pubs for generations. We wanted to honour that tradition while giving it a fresh, contemporary interpretation.
Looking Back to Move Forward
Before putting pencil to paper, we spent time researching historic pub stained glass, vintage brewery advertising and traditional Beamish branding.
What fascinated us was how many of these handcrafted pieces were never designed to be temporary. They were built to last for decades, becoming part of the identity of the pubs they lived in.
That philosophy mirrors our own approach at Eirlume Studio. We believe every bespoke stained glass commission should become part of a place rather than simply decorate it.
Designing the Piece
Our concept centred around creating a backlit stained glass panel that combined traditional stained glass craftsmanship with contemporary design, a nod to the illuminated stained glass signs that once featured in pubs across Ireland.
The iconic Beamish "B" became the focal point of the design. Although it appears simple at first glance, recreating the logo in stained glass required an extraordinary amount of precision. Every curve had to be carefully broken down into individual pieces of glass while maintaining the character of the original artwork.
Surrounding the logo, we designed a decorative border inspired by traditional stained glass compositions, using Beamish's distinctive reds, yellow and white tones.
We were commissioned to create five bespoke stained glass panels, which will be installed in Beamish pubs around Ireland. Knowing that these handcrafted stained glass artworks will become part of the atmosphere and character of pubs across the country makes this commission especially meaningful.
Hundreds of Pieces, One Finished Artwork
Every section of the stained glass panel was individually cut, ground, copper-foiled and soldered together by hand in our Leitrim studio.
The intricate detailing inside the Beamish "B" was particularly enjoyable to make and pushed both the design and craftsmanship to a level we had not explored before.
Seeing the panel illuminated for the first time was a real highlight. The colours came alive exactly as we'd imagined, bringing warmth and character to the finished piece in a way only stained glass can.
Celebrating Traditional Craftsmanship
This project perfectly reflects the type of work we love to create at Eirlume Studio, bespoke stained glass commissions that combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Whether we're creating stained glass for pubs, restaurants, hotels or private homes, every piece is handcrafted to become a lasting feature of the space it belongs in.
We're incredibly proud to have collaborated with Beamish on this commission and can't wait to see these bespoke stained glass panels become part of pubs across Ireland for many years to come.
