'It wasn't remotely on my radar': From considering a criminology degree to becoming a ceramic artist

Kenmare gallery owner Fiachra Crowley could not shake the feeling a university course was not for him but doing a PLC course in art set his career path on a very different and fulfilling trajectory

Fiachra Crowley in his Kenmare gallery.

Artist Fiachra Crowley has encouraged students to look at the big picture and not be afraid to put their own stamp on what comes next after they receive their Leaving Cert results.

In 2014, he looked set to study criminology at University College Cork (UCC) after collecting a good set of Leaving Cert results.

But he turned down his college place offer when he couldn’t shake the feeling he felt lost, not knowing what he really wanted to do as he finished school.

“For me, I just came to the end of the Leaving Cert, not knowing what to do, even though I had a good result in my back pocket, and a CAO offer,” he said.

He had filled in his CAO application “just to have that option”, but “it got to a point where I just didn’t know what to do,” he said.

“My results were good; I could have gone for a lot of things if I wanted to.”

He decided to take a year out, hoping the following year he might be closer to knowing what he wanted to pursue. “Nothing came to my mind.”

He faced a bit of pushback initially when he said he wanted to take a year out. 

“You can kind of anticipate that it was a bit of a surprise to a lot of people,” he said. “Initially it was like ‘you’ll take your year out, and then you’ll go and do something’ and I would kind of play along and say ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ just to get people off my back. There was shock, and I guess there was a little bit of judgement.

“Of course, everyone was also trying to suggest things to me. ‘Oh, then you’ll go and do commerce, or law", all these big, huge job titles. I was getting suggestions thrown at me, just because they were looking at one facet of me. There was a lot of pushback,” he said.

Even the next year, when I still didn’t take that step towards college, and I said I’m doing a PLC in art, everyone was like ‘what?'

As a child, he had been quite creative, something an aunt of his had kept in mind when suggesting he take up a Level 5 Post Leaving Cert (PLC) course in art.

“It was harder work than I anticipated, but I just thought it would be something fun and enjoyable to do for a year, and I just fell head over heels in love with it.”

From this PLC course, Fiachra has established himself as a successful ceramic artist, going on to open his own studio and shop in Kenmare, Kerry, and his designs are stocked at the boutique in Adare Manor.

“I never set out with that goal [to go into business], but I guess it was just fortuitous,” he said. “When I finished the Level 5, they offered me the Level 6. There was a little bit of business involved in it; one of the modules was entrepreneurship. 

"I had no five-year plan or anything like that, which probably would have been a good idea, but I just started making bits and pieces at home.”

Fiachra Crowley: 'There are so many different routes and paths. Stay true to yourself because at the end of the day, the decisions you are making, they are for you.'

He established himself with a kiln, and in 2019 “took a leap” into self-employment. 

“Right before covid, it was great timing,” he laughed. “But it actually did allow me during the first lockdown to focus on the business and my craft.” 

In 2020, he began stocking a local gallery in Kenmare with his ceramics and went on to take part in a pop-up shop in Kenmare.

“That was a big turning point, because the reaction to that was phenomenal and that pop-up shop went on to become my permanent retail unit, and it’s from there that I’ve made connections and got the word out there.” 

It was here that the boutique manager at Adare Manor saw his designs while on a trip to Kenmare, and asked him if he would be interested in becoming a supplier.

“It was an overwhelming opportunity as it felt that I couldn’t pass it up. I made a bespoke collection for them, which is solely for them, and I also stock my pieces in the boutique as well. I’ve also done pieces for local hotels such as the Sheen Falls and the Park Hotel, who are great supporters of mine, and I’ve also supplied Ballynahinch Castle in Galway.”

It's a very different career path when compared to criminology. “It’s something that wasn’t even remotely on my radar after school. I didn’t even do art in secondary school,” he said.

“It is still important to apply yourself in school, but if you get to this point and you still don’t know what you want to do, or you haven’t been able to achieve the points or the college place, look around at what other options are there,” he said.

“There are so many different routes and paths. Stay true to yourself because at the end of the day, the decisions you are making, they are for you.”