The year is 1988. Gerry has been with Waterford crystal since 1975.
Things started to change at Waterford Crystal, management informs workers that due to cheaper competition world-wide, it would have to reduce costs. A halving of 3,000 workforce was sought.
After much deliberation, Gerry decides to accept buy-out terms & departs. For the next four years Gerry gains experience with different projects in various parts of Ireland. In that period, he was directly involved in the start up of four crystal manufacturing companies, but as the song goes, "He still hasn’t found what he’s looking for."
It is now April 1992. By now Gerry knows how he wants to proceed. The deep cutting method can only be achieved on a craft shop basis, he concludes. Because of its slow nature, no trade outlet or agents would be supplied.
So what Gerry is now searching for is the right town in Ireland to base himself & create an identity.
Finding Kinsale
It is the beginning of April 1992.
With his suitcase packed, Gerry is about to embark on an extensive search in Ireland for a suitable location to begin his project. He knew it would be difficult a task. What Gerry was looking for was a town with a high quality image to match his product. Not a regular tourist-trail, souvenir hunters mecca. Somewhere with an already established high quality, Art & Craft image.
So heading west from Waterford, the first port of call on his map was a town in West Cork called Kinsale. "I had never before been to Kinsale, but as soon as I entered into this fascinating, quaint old world town, I knew my search, even though I had just begun, was over" quotes Gerry. "I thank God for leading me to Kinsale, because choosing to set up here has been the best move of my life." Because Kinsale is renowned for its good restaurants, scenery, arts & crafts, and all-round high-quality name, it proved the ideal base for the revival of high quality, deep cut, lead crystal.
Don’t expect to find any major changes at Kinsale Crystal since 1992, because the policy of Gerry's family is rigid: "We don’t and won’t sell from anywhere else. To buy Kinsale Crystal, you’ve got to deal with us." This policy ensures the continuation of deep cut crystal at Kinsale.
Tomás Daly (Gerry's son)
Marking guidelines of pattern design on another piece of Kinsale Crystal (all done the traditional way)
Photograph by Margaret C. Norton
