Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year on the Howth Castle estate. The hedgerows are heavy with berries, the woodland floor is carpeted in leaves and moss, and every laneway is full of texture, shape and colour.
On Saturday 7 November, we're inviting you to bring a little of that beauty home. Join us for An Introduction to Ceramics with Elisa Ceramics, a nature-infused, hand-building workshop in the Workshop Rooms at Howth Castle.
Elisa Ceramics creates handmade pieces inspired by botanics and the natural world. She'll guide you through the basics of working with clay and share how working with your hands can benefit your mental health. Along the way, she'll show you how the beauty of nature can be captured in clay.
"Working with clay makes me feel connected to myself and centred." Elisa
After a short introduction to the workshop and some basic clay techniques, we'll head outside to the laneways, hedgerows and forest floors around the castle. There you'll collect fallen twigs, mosses, leaves, berries and feathers.
These aren't just inspiration; they're your tools. Elisa will show you how to use them to emboss and texture your clay, so every piece you make is unique and personal to you.
Back in the Workshop Rooms, you'll warm up with homemade soup and fresh bread before the creative part of the day begins.
With Elisa guiding you, you'll be free to experiment and make whatever inspires you. You might make:
This workshop is about more than learning a new skill. It's a chance to slow down, get your hands in the clay and let your creativity run free. Give yourself a few hours that are just for you. No previous experience is needed, just curiosity.
After the workshop, your pieces will be fired and glazed. They'll be ready to collect 3–4 weeks later, just in time for Christmas. Whether you keep them or give them as gifts, each one will carry a little piece of Howth Castle.
Date: Saturday 7 November
Time: 10am – 2pm (or 2:30pm, depending on pace)
Location: Workshop Rooms, Howth Castle
Cost: €110, with all materials provided
What to bring: Dress warmly for the castle rooms, and bring your own apron
Experience: None required
Spend a morning foraging, creating and slowing down in one of Dublin's most beautiful settings, and go home with something truly your own.
Elisa is a ceramicist, a mum of three, and Italian with Dutch roots. She first discovered clay in 2014, during a challenging time in her life, and was hooked straight away. Clay and the potter's wheel quickly became her way to switch off, de-stress and reconnect with herself.
She went on to earn a degree in ceramics after five years at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lier, Belgium. She has since trained with artists and teachers at La Meridiana in Florence and the Ceramic Materials Workshop in the USA. After moving to Ireland with her family in 2020, she founded Elisa Ceramics Art, turning her passion into a thriving creative business.
Today, Elisa is passionate about keeping the creative community alive. She welcomes people for a fun, relaxing day out, a bonding experience or the start of a rewarding new hobby. At Howth Castle, she'll guide you through the basics of hand-building and share how working with clay can benefit your wellbeing.
Posted on 15 Oct 2026.
