Eirlume Studio on RTÉ Nationwide
We were delighted, and admittedly a little nervous, when RTÉ Nationwide presenter Zainab Boladale got in touch to ask if she could visit Eirlume Studio and film a feature about our work.
What we didn’t know at the time was that Zainab had actually been following our work for several months.
How it all started
The previous December Zainab was in Manorhamilton, Leitrim, filming a segment about the North Leitrim Women’s Centre. Vanessa happened to be hosting a stained glass workshop there at the time and afterwards Zainab started following Eirlume Studio on Instagram.
We were completely unaware of this.
For the next few months, she quietly followed what we were making and sharing from our stained glass and mosaic studio here in Co. Leitrim. Then one day, she got in touch.
She told us she had been enjoying our work and would love to come and speak to us for a feature on RTÉ Nationwide.
It was one of those emails you have to read twice.
RTÉ Nationwide comes to Leitrim
Nationwide is one of those programmes almost everyone in Ireland knows. It travels around the country telling stories about Irish people, places, communities, businesses and creative work, so having Eirlume Studio included felt very special.
Zainab explained that the interview would be a relaxed conversation about us, how Eirlume began and the contemporary stained glass and mosaic work we create.
Most importantly, they wanted to come here to film us working in our studio in Leitrim.
She sent us a proposed filming plan along with some guide questions, and a date was set for the end of July.
Which meant there was just one important job to do first.
Clean the studio!
Filming at Eirlume Studio
On the morning of filming, Zainab and cameraman Paul arrived at around 10am.
Although Vanessa had spoken to Zainab several times on the phone by then, we hadn't met in person, and neither of us had met Paul. Thankfully, they were both incredibly relaxed and friendly and very quickly put us at ease.
The idea was to capture a fairly normal day at Eirlume and show some of the craftsmanship that goes into the pieces we make.
Charlie was filmed working on one of the handmade wooden bases for our stained glass lamps, while Vanessa was filmed cutting glass at her workbench. They also filmed the two of us working together to assemble one of our stained glass lamps.
It was lovely to have the making process captured properly. There is so much that happens before a finished piece leaves the studio: designing, choosing colours and glass, cutting individual pieces by hand, working with timber, assembling, soldering and finishing.
Whether we're creating a bespoke stained glass window, an architectural glass commission, a mosaic or one of our stained glass lamps, the process and craftsmanship behind it are a huge part of what we do.
Telling the story of Eirlume
After filming us at work, Zainab interviewed us individually.
Thankfully, it really was as informal as she had promised.
We talked about how we met, how we eventually came to work together and how Eirlume Studio began. We chatted about where the name Eirlume came from, the different skills we each bring to the studio and the kind of work we most enjoy creating.
It was actually quite nice to stop and talk about it all.
When you're running a small creative business, most days are spent thinking about the next commission, the next piece of glass to cut or the next thing that needs to be made. You don't often sit down and tell the whole story of how you got there.
A little tour of our home too
We were also delighted that the Nationwide team wanted to film at our house.
Our home is particularly special to us because Charlie built it himself, so we're always very proud to show it to people. Over the years, we've also added our own work to the house, including an entranceway mosaic and a stained glass porch door.
Stained glass and August Craft Month
Our Nationwide feature was planned as part of their coverage around August Craft Month, so they also wanted to capture one of our stained glass workshops.
We were already planning to host a workshop for August Craft Month, which gave us the perfect opportunity to show another side of what we do.
We invited a group of friends and family along and recreated the atmosphere of one of our beginner stained glass workshops. The cameras captured Vanessa demonstrating how to cut glass and guiding everyone through the process.
Our workshops are very different from our larger bespoke stained glass commissions, but we love teaching them. There is something really rewarding about introducing someone to stained glass for the first time and watching them realise that they can actually cut, shape and solder the glass themselves.
It also gives people a much better understanding of just how much work goes into making a piece of stained glass by hand.
A day we'll remember
We had a genuinely lovely day with Zainab and Paul.
What we'd been slightly nervous about beforehand ended up feeling very relaxed. We spent the day making, chatting, laughing and talking about what we are passionate about, stained glass, mosaics and why we love making things.
From our studio here in rural Leitrim, the two of us design and make contemporary stained glass and mosaics for homes, businesses and interiors around Ireland. Every commission starts with a blank page and is designed and made by us, from the first sketches through to fabrication and installation.
Having RTÉ Nationwide come through the studio doors to tell a little of that story was something we were very proud of.
Most of all, we hope our enthusiasm for the work came across.
Because once the cameras leave and everything goes back to normal, that's what we're happiest doing, going back in the studio, designing, cutting glass and making the next piece.
Interested in commissioning a piece of contemporary stained glass or mosaic for your home, business or interior project?
