Kilkenny Design

What Kilkenny Design does

Kilkenny Design (legal entity: Clydaville Investments Ltd. t/a The KILKENNY Group) is an Irish multi-category specialty retailer operating 20 physical stores across Ireland and a global e-commerce store at kilkennydesign.com. The company sells jewellery, crystal and glassware, homeware, kitchen and tableware, beauty products, clothing, accessories, art, pottery, and gifts, with an exclusive in-house KD Jewellery line and a curated portfolio of premium third-party Irish and international brands including Waterford Crystal, Belleek, Orla Kiely, Barbour, Guess, and VOYA. Originally established by the Irish government in 1963 to develop Irish craft, it was acquired by Marian O'Gorman and her family in 1999 and is now led by CEO Evelyn Moynihan (appointed 2021) with O'Gorman serving as Chairperson.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer omnichannel model. Its online storefront runs on BigCommerce and supports five currencies (EUR, GBP, USD, AUD, CAD) and international shipping, with payment integrations including Klarna, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and One4All. Twenty physical stores across Ireland, including the 1976 Nassau Street Dublin flagship and the original 1965 Kilkenny City store, handle the bulk of customer traffic, complemented by four Kilkenny Cafés operated by Wright Group at Dublin, Kilkenny, Shanagarry, and Cobh. A VIP Rewards membership (10% off online, tailored offers) drives repeat purchase, while the Champion Green initiative functions as both a national advocacy platform and an in-store pop-up pipeline for emerging Irish brands and SMEs.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across physical and digital channels, with no disclosed subscription, licensing, or recurring-contract component beyond the VIP Rewards program. The primary customer segments are Irish and diaspora gift shoppers, home and living enthusiasts, and fashion and accessories buyers, with a secondary B2B corporate gifting vertical. Pricing is product-based with periodic discount codes (e.g., PRIME for 15% off) and Klarna pay-now financing. The company employs 101-250 staff and is headquartered in Killarney under Clydaville Investments Ltd.

Name

Kilkenny Design

Legal name

Clydaville Investments Ltd. t/a The KILKENNY Group

Website

https://kilkennydesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kilkenny Design is an Irish multi-category specialty retailer operating 20 stores across Ireland and a global BigCommerce e-commerce store, selling jewellery, crystal, homeware, fashion, beauty, and gifts from Irish and international brands to consumers and corporate gift buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kilkenny

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Physical retail store sales from 20 locations across Ireland plus global e-commerce revenue through the BigCommerce-powered online store. Products include jewellery, crystal, homeware, clothing, beauty products, art, and gifts.
2. E-commerce: Global online sales through kilkennydesign.com supporting multiple currencies and international shipping to customers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kilkenny Design is a multi-category Irish design retailer that sells jewellery, crystal, homeware, kitchenware, beauty and wellness products, clothing, accessories, art, pottery, ceramics, and gifts through 20 physical retail stores across Ireland and a global BigCommerce-powered e-commerce store. It curates established Irish brands (Waterford Crystal, Belleek, Galway Crystal, VOYA, Pestle & Mortar, Orla Kiely, IrelandsEye) alongside its own exclusive KD Jewellery collection and emerging makers under the Champion Green initiative.

Product overview

Kilkenny Design is an Irish retail company operating 20 physical stores across Ireland plus a global online store. The company was established in 1963 and positions itself as 'The Home Of Irish Design', promoting Irish craftsmanship and supporting local makers. The product portfolio is organized as a multi-category retail platform offering: Jewellery (including exclusive KD collection and Nomination charms), Crystal & Glassware (Waterford, Galway, Killarney Crystal), Homeware & Home Décor (candles, furniture, mirrors), Kitchen & Tableware, Beauty & Wellness (Irish brands like VOYA, Pestle & Mortar), Gifts & Gifting (e-gift cards, corporate gifts, personalised items), Clothing & Fashion (women's and men's), Accessories (bags, scarves, hats), Art & Prints (from Irish artists), and Pottery & Ceramics (Belleek, Nicholas Mosse). The company also operates Kilkenny Café & Restaurants in select store locations. The e-commerce platform uses BigCommerce and supports multiple currencies (EUR, GBP, USD, AUD, CAD) and various payment methods including Klarna.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Champion Green: A national movement founded during the Covid-19 pandemic to encourage people to shop, support and do business locally. Has evolved into a breakthrough pop-up shop opportunity for emerging Irish brands and SMEs to collaborate with Kilkenny Design in stores across the country.

Products and services

• Jewellery Curated jewellery range including fashion jewellery, charms, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, watches and brooches featuring the in-house KD Jewellery exclusive collection, Irish Claddagh heritage pieces and brands such as Nomination, enibas, Alan Ardiff and Solvar, sold through 20 Irish stores and the global online store.
• Crystal & Glassware Crystal and glassware assortment including decanters, carafes, bowls, vases and giftware from iconic Irish crystal brands Waterford Crystal, Galway Crystal and Killarney Crystal, sold through Kilkenny Design stores and online.
• Homeware & Home Décor Irish home accessories including cushions, throws, candles, diffusers, furniture, mirrors, lighting and home fragrance products sourced from Irish makers such as Max Benjamin, sold in-store and online.
• Kitchen & Tableware Kitchen and dining products including glassware, tableware, tea and coffee accessories, and kitchen linen.
• Beauty & Wellness Beauty and personal care products including skincare, bath and body, hair care, self-tan, makeup and health supplements from Irish brands such as VOYA, Pestle & Mortar, Handmade Soap Company, Dublin Herbalists and Green Angel.
• Gifts & Gifting Gift options including e-gift cards, personalised gifts, gift sets, food hampers, corporate gifts, sweets and chocolates, books and stationery, greetings cards and occasion-based gifting for weddings, birthdays and holidays, plus free-engraving limited-time offers.
• Clothing & Fashion Women's and men's clothing including knitwear, coats, dresses, activewear and heritage Irish pieces such as Aran sweaters, featuring IrelandsEye, Aran Woollen Mills, Foxford Woollen Mills, Barbour, Guess, Seasalt and Mucros Weavers.
• Accessories Fashion accessories including handbags, purses, hats, scarves, gloves, socks, sunglasses and travel luggage from brands such as Guess, Roka London and IZIPIZI.
• Art & Prints Irish art including original works, prints and 3D wall art from Irish artists and studios such as Jordan Breen, Wild Goose Studio and Simone Walsh.
• Pottery & Ceramics Irish pottery and ceramics including Belleek, Nicholas Mosse and Castle Arch Pottery pieces.
• Kilkenny Café & Restaurants In-store café service operated by Wright Group at four Kilkenny Design locations (Nassau Street Dublin, Kilkenny Castle Yard, Shanagarry Cork and Cobh Heritage Centre Cork), featuring Irish produce and showcasing local food artisans.
• VIP Rewards Membership Subscription-style loyalty programme that provides 10% off online purchases, exclusive in-store offers, tailored promotions, news and tips for members across store and online channels.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wright GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wright Group operates Kilkenny Cafés situated in iconic Kilkenny Design shops. The award-winning café group offers Irish produce crafted with passion at each location. The café retail section showcases local food artisans and celebrates Irish producers' culinary excellence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avoca: Irish multi-category retailer selling homeware, food, clothing and gifts across physical stores and online. Directly comparable to Kilkenny Design in assortment breadth, Irish heritage positioning, and gift-oriented customer base.
• Blarney Woollen Mills: Long-established Irish heritage gift and knitwear retailer. Closely comparable to Kilkenny Design in Irish-souvenir positioning, family ownership heritage, and mix of own-brand and curated Irish-made products.
• Carroll's Irish Gifts: Family-run Irish gift retailer focused on Irish-made souvenirs, jewellery, and homeware. Directly competes with Kilkenny Design for Irish-heritage gift occasions and tourist/diaspora customers.

Broad incumbents

• Brown Thomas: Ireland's premier luxury department store. Overlaps with Kilkenny Design on premium Irish and international gifting, jewellery, beauty, and homeware, though at higher price points and broader luxury scope.
• Arnotts: Irish department store operating across homeware, beauty, fashion and gifts. Comparable multi-category Irish retail footprint and customer demographic, though broader and less craft/heritage-focused than Kilkenny Design.
• Not On The High Street: UK-based curated marketplace aggregating independent makers across gifting, homeware, and jewellery. Comparable to Kilkenny Design's global e-commerce channel and curation-led positioning, though at much larger scale.
• Etsy: Global online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods, including a large base of Irish designers. Directly competes with Kilkenny Design's online store for Irish-craft and heritage-gifting demand.

Emerging players

• Meadows & Byrne: Irish homeware and gift retailer with curated Irish design-led assortment. Comparable to Kilkenny Design's homeware, kitchen, and gifting categories with similar Irish-craft narrative, but narrower in scope.

Regional players

• The Irish Store: Online Irish-heritage gift and clothing retailer primarily serving UK and international customers. Comparable assortment and target customer (Irish diaspora gift-buyers), but a regional rather than Ireland-domiciled competitor.

Others

• Foxford Woollen Mills: Heritage Irish woollen mill brand whose products are sold through Kilkenny Design. Comparable as a heritage Irish craft brand, though operating primarily as a manufacturer/own-retailer rather than multi-category retailer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Kilkenny_Design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kilkenny Design