`Irish people have always had an innate respect for glass. Whether it's the old crystal in granny's cabinet or fine old religious stained glass, we're fascinated," says Roisin de Buitlear, one of Ireland's top contemporary glass artists.
The good news is that Ireland's strong glass tradition isn't dying out, nor is it solely centred on the glories of the past. As a Glass Society of Ireland seminar that takes place at the National Gallery next weekend will show, there is a strong continuity between our heritage and our active glass artists.
Roisin de Buitlear, who is giving a lecture on the contemporary glass scene at the seminar, explains that four years ago practitioners got involved in the glass society, which was previously made up of historians, collectors and enthusiasts.
"It's a nice exchange. Some of the members who knew a lot about the history of Irish glass knew little about how it's actually made, while the collectors and historians also had a lot of knowledge to offer us artists."
Mary Boydell, glass historian and current president of the society agrees wholeheartedly. "Personally, I think it's terrific that the glass artists are getting involved. As one of the founder members of the society, I always felt that it should encompass all areas of the field. There are some very good studio glass artists and we really welcome their input."
There may be some very good glass artists, but there are not very many. Statistics are hard to come by, but it seems there are about 10 glass artists working in Ireland, not including stained-glass artists. Most produce one-off or limited edition art pieces such as fine decorative platters, bowls or vases which are worked by the artist in a similar manner to the master blowers at the crystal factories. The glass artist will bring the piece through every stage of its development, while in the crystal workshops, the glass will be passed from worker to worker until it reaches the master of the team.
The other method of glass-working is kiln work, where solid sheet glass is brought to melting point in an electric furnace. It is then poured into a mould and cooled very slowly. Roisin de Buitlear uses both methods to produce her pieces, working the final decoration on afterwards using etching or engraving. She has a small design workshop, but tends to hire out equipment depending on each commission.
Even so, it is an expensive business. Once the furnace is started, it is kept going for 24 hours, seven days a week, as it must be at a temperature of 11,000 degrees Celsius before it will melt the glass. This takes two or three days and each time it is started and stopped it places a certain amount of wear and tear on the oven.
"You'll find that most glass artists make an awful lot of kiln pieces at any one time, depending on when they have the oven going," says Roisin, laughing. She is absolutely passionate about glass.
"It's the most fascinating material to work with. It goes into the furnace solid, comes out like honey and then goes back to a solid. The first time I ever saw somebody working with glass I was hooked. I think any glassmaker could stand and watch someone else working with glass all day - you're never a master of glass; it has a spirit of its own.
"Your whole body has to be in tune with the piece you're working on - you can't be angry or it shows. You have to find your own rhythm. I'm pregnant at the moment and you can see it in my work. This is partly because we sit at benches with long arms along which we swing the pipes, leaning to the right all the time. Of course this is more difficult with a big belly and the rhythm is different. My work is much rounder and much more mellow at the moment."
Roisin did her original training in the National College of Art and Design, but has also worked in studios in Denmark, Britain and Japan. There is a huge contemporary glass scene in the US, as well as in Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, and indeed, American artist Dale Chihuly, is the subject of one of next Saturday's seminar lectures.
Seattle-born Chihuly is a legendary figure in the glass world, travelling internationally with his team of glass artists, making installation and site-specific pieces.
Irish artist, Noelle Higgins, worked with him two years ago on a piece entitled Over Venice which involved him and his team constructing giant chandeliers in countries including Sweden, Mexico and Ireland. The finished pieces were eventually hung over a canal in Venice to coincide with the Venice Biennale. Along with Noelle's account of the whole experience will lie more history-based pieces such as Nicola Gordon Bowe's lecture on stained glass in the arts and crafts movement at the end of the last century.
Other lectures included in the seminar are Kim Mawhinney's discussion of the Marquess of Bute Collection (the Irish-made Bute bowl and stand has recently been bought by the Ulster Museum in Belfast where Kim works); Dan Klein, a big name in the contemporary glass scene, on glass in a European context, and Charles Hajdemach of England's Broadfield House Glass Museum discussing "The Fascination of Mrs Graydon Stannus".
Stannus is a rather controversial figure; mother of Dame Ninnette de Valois and a glass worker herself, she worked outside London, but made her pieces in the old Irish style.
"Collectors, historians, artists or enthusiasts, they're all addicted to glass," grins Roisin.
For further information on the Glass Society of Ireland seminar, contact Bridget Hornby, tel: 01- 841 2526. Tickets cost £20 (including buffet lunch) and should be booked in advance.