Colm Kenny and Martina Navrátilová of Ceadogán Rugmakers speak to Build & Renovate

In 1989 Ceadogán Rugs was acquired by Denis Kenny and Fiona Gilboy, Denis having undertaken an apprenticeship with Tom. Over 30 years with Denis and Fiona at the helm Ceadogán Rugmakers went from a small hearth rug business to a leading maker of fine bespoke rugs and wall hangings. Works from Cedogán Rugmakers can now be found hanging or lying all around the globe.

In 2020 the baton was passed once more and Colm Kenny and Martina Navrátilová took the reins having spent several years deeply involved in the running of Ceadogán Rugmakers.

In good keeping with Ceadogán tradition both Martina and Colm found their way to the craft of rug making via the scenic route with backgrounds in fine art and furniture.

As a family business Ceadogán Rugmakers holds its core values of quality and sustainability very close to heart. We work with the finest natural materials to produce lasting pieces of beauty and integrity.

Our workshop and showroom are situated in our family homestead, a stone walled farmyard dating back to the 17th century.

We combine traditional materials and processes with a design-led approach to create high-end, modern rugs that push the boundaries of contemporary craft.

We use the finest of natural yarns including wool, silk, hemp and bamboo- all of which as well as looking beautiful and being durable, feel soft and luxurious underfoot. All of our rugs are handmade by the team at Ceadogán Rugmakers in Wexford.

Hours of tufting, shearing, carving, clipping, backwinding and plucking are invested into the making of each rug.
Martina hails from the city of Brno in the Czech Republic, having completed a masters degree in fine art when she travelled to Ireland in 2006.

She spent seven years living and working as an artist in Connemara before moving to Wexford in 2012.

Colm grew up in the yard in Barrystown and has seen it unfold through many guises over the years. He studied furniture design before undertaking an apprenticeship with Conservation Letterfrack in Connemara.

Colm and Martina now work with a team of eight people united in their passion for design and making. They are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in their craft and pride in their work.

Their workshop and showroom are situated in the family homestead, a stone walled farmyard that dates back to the 1600s, overlooking Bannow Bay Estuary in County Wexford.

The business is going really well. Our focus has been on collaborating with artists and other designers in recent times and we have a steady flow of work coming in. The collaborative process is something we really enjoy as it brings new ideas and fresh thinking to the table, said Martina and Colm.

As to whether or not there are patterns or rugs that seem to be more popular than others?

“It is difficult to say really, we have quite a mixed clientele so there is consistent demand across all the styles, we really have something for all tastes and can meet any needs with our bespoke service.

The in-house collection is probably the most popular due to its flexibility in size, shape and colour. We really can play with all of these designs when making a bespoke rug,” enthused Colm and Martina.

“We have rugs in our showroom but don’t keep a lot in stock as the majority of our work would be bespoke and made to order.’’