The first Belleek Collectors Gathering since 2019 took place recently in Fermanagh. Collectors travelled from America, Canada, England and Ireland to attend this gathering which for three years had been cancelled due the pandemic.

Patricia McCauley, Visitor Centre Manager and Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Collectors has been working on the return of the gathering for several months along with the Northern Ireland Chapter and Fergus Cleary, Archivist and Designer.

"Our collectors are a very important part of the story of Belleek," explained Patricia, adding: “They have a knowledge of the pieces, their history, inspiration and back stories that is invaluable to the heritage of the pottery. The collectors come together to find out about each other’s collections and the stories of how they have acquired certain pieces.

"It is always a weekend when we at Belleek learn a little about the place we work in. Many of our collectors are located in America, Canada and the UK so our timing to host the event very much depended on travel restrictions. This is the first year, we felt that it would be possible to bring our collectors together," said Patricia, noting that collectors travelled from Texas, Cleveland, Ontario, Stockport, UK and many other locations to attend, such is their passion for Belleek.

"We also had several of our more local collectors from our Northern Ireland Chapter," she said.

Fergus continued: “Our schedule featured lots of activity - this weekend we had collector presentations including a showcase in our auditorium and a visit to a collector’s home in Aughnacloy to view their collection and garden.

"We also had a jewellery making demonstration with jewellery designer Cori Krause showcasing how she creates beautiful pieces of wearable jewellery using broken pieces of pottery.

"This year a collector who is no longer with us was remembered with the planting of a commemorative tree. Marilyn Gary Orbann planted a tree in honour of her father Fred Gary, 1st Honoree in 1986 San Diego Chapter,"he said.

Patricia concluded: “The weekend has been a resounding success and we are already putting plans in motion for another gathering. A note of thanks to everyone involved in making this weekend a success. A special note of thanks to the Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel and Knockninny House for hosting our collectors and making their collectors gathering truly enjoyable.”