Furniture making has long been one of Ireland’s traditional craft industries. Today, it is making significant developments through the use of more natural materials and new production techniques and above all, through the application of excellent contemporary design. The emphasis is on functionalism over form, so that the best of Irish-made furniture is not only rooted in Ireland but has strong international appeal.

The sector is dominated by many small companies, up to 400 in total. The industry is heavily concentrated in specific geographic areas, namely the North East and counties Monaghan and Meath. The overall market for furniture in Ireland is worth approximately €1bn a year, with just under one-third supplied by Irish manufacturers. The United Kingdom is the main export market. Although the number of smaller companies has been a drawback to developing exports, a variety of collective marketing programmes have been established to improve export sales. A typical example is the Torc marketing group, which brings together companies selling into the contract hotel sector in the UK.

The largest segment of the Irish market is domestic furniture, with upholstered furniture the most important element. Furniture retailing in Ireland has enjoyed considerable growth as the new housing market continues to grow. The demand for furniture has increased competition among manufacturers and heightened the desire by consumers for strong modern design lines. Another benefit of the developing housing market is the ongoing demand for contract furniture.

The office and commercial furniture sectors are also continuing to expand with specialisation in high quality boardroom and reception furniture. About 10 firms supply the market for hotel furniture, both in Ireland and the UK, but since the new hotel market is almost saturated, much of the work is now concentrated on hotel refurbishments.

With the emphasis on more efficient production and better design parameters, one important aspect for the industry is the constant supply of young, well-educated furniture designers and makers. Graduates from colleges such as the Furniture College in Letterfrack, Co Galway, are helping to make Irish furniture leading edge in all aspects of design and production.