‘Ireland is just bursting with talented women’

hammer & snail was born in 2020 when I had a lot of spare time on my hands!

I had just moved to a new city and I was making lots of jewellery at the time so I just decided to go for it and set up an Etsy page. After a year I was able to launch my own website and I’m still here four years later, now with my very own studio. 

I wanted a name that reflected the importance of slowness. 

I want my jewellery to be intentional and unhurried, like the little creatures they’re named after. I also love that the name plays on ‘hammer and nail’, which I think adds a level of playfulness. Each piece has a story, with a lot of my ideas coming from Celtic folklore. 

I’ve always been interested in sustainability.

Before starting hammer & snail, I was a climate change researcher, so I knew that whatever I would create, I wanted it to be low-impact jewellery that didn’t cost the Earth, but also felt fun and playful to wear.  

I’m not even sure if I’d call myself a designer – it could be imposter syndrome, but even though that’s essentially what I do, it feels strange to call myself that.

My design process usually starts with reading or coming across an old piece of Celtic art that sparks an interest. I’ll carry that inspiration around for a while, and then, when I’m in the studio, I start experimenting, working out ideas with my hands rather than planning them in detail. If I do sketch things out on paper, they rarely look exactly like my finished pieces – there’s something organic that happens in the making.

Each and every one of my pieces has a story, whether it comes from Celtic folklore, an interesting symbol I saw at a museum or a celebration of a friend. 

The idea might come from these things, but the piece usually ends up becoming something completely different, so I’m not too strict about sticking to specifics. For example, my most popular piece, the sacred heart ring, is loosely based on the traditional Claddagh ring that represents friendship, loyalty and love. Another one of my pieces – the orna sword – was inspired by a story I read in Irish folklore about a sword that recounted everything it had done while in the hands of its previous owner. I also have a piece in my collection called the hagstone pendant, which is a sand casting I made when I found a hagstone on the beach in Wicklow. Hagstones in Irish folklore are known to spot fairies so I knew I had to make a design out of it. 

Ireland is just bursting with talented women. 

Because a lot of my pieces are focused on Irish folklore and mythology, it’s what I’m most drawn to. Aoife Cawley is a textiles artist who creates scarves that explore Celtic history and Irish Saints. I also love Biird, an eleven-piece all-female collective who are described as ‘the Spice Girls of trad’ which they definitely are! Watching them perform made me so emotional. There is a Celtic revival happening in Ireland at the moment and I’m absolutely here for it. I also love absolutely everything designer Ríon Hannora does.

I’m very lucky that my business grew organically, so at the beginning, I didn’t have to invest money into it. 

I was working a full-time job for about a year alongside building the brand but it allowed me to become really efficient at time management and also meant that I didn’t rely solely on the business for income that first year. 

The best advice I received was at a business workshop I did recently and it was to not overthink things. 

Sometimes I believe that when you strive for perfection too much, nothing will ever happen. I’ve noticed this, especially with branding, where people want to wait until they get everything absolutely perfect before launching… even though perfection doesn’t exist. 

Best fashion purchase? Honestly anything by the brand Toast. 

I have two dresses from them and I consider them my uniform at this point. When it comes to Irish brands on my radar, I love Saltwater Design. Megan’s pieces are so dreamy and gorgeous. I also love Anam Cosmetics, an environmentally sustainable make-up brand. On Instagram, I love following Venetia La Manna. She has a really unique approach to slow fashion and re-wearing pieces you love. 

Do what works for you. 

When I first went full-time, I tried to do 9-5 which absolutely did not work for me. Find your own schedule where you are most productive and go with that. Mine is generally 12-7 so I can walk my dog and do some exercise in the mornings. I get most of my inspiration after 5pm!  

My proudest moment so far… that’s a hard one!

I’d have to say every year when I go to an Irish festival and I see so many people wearing a solas necklace or a sacred heart ring. They have no idea I’m the maker and it’s just the most special thing. It warms my heart to see my pieces being worn and loved by people. 

I want my brand to be remembered for how intentional it is.

Metalworking has been practised for thousands of years in Ireland, with our ancestors working by hand. I love this concept and want to keep it as close to the traditional making method as much as I can when making jewellery. Precious metals come from the Earth, and I see making jewellery as a way to give back to it, creating something out of these naturally occurring elements.  

If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be Mary Robinson, hands down. 

I love that woman she’s so iconic. 

Photography by Shannon Greene.