A hive of activity will always attract more bees, so Co Kilkenny must the sweetest place if crafts are your speciality.
Kilkenny's reputation as a centre of crafts excellence is such that its tourist office has a guide to the Kilkenny Craft Trail, pinpointing some of the most famous craft shops, such as Nicholas Mosse's pottery and the Rudolf Heltzel gold and silver- smithing studio.
Not included are some of the lesser-known crafts people, the up-and-coming smiths and throwers who continue to swell Kilkenny's reputation.
The Bridge pottery shop in Bennets bridge, run by Mary O'Gorman and her partner Michael Camden, is festooned with colour. Delicate filigree sponge designs adorn mugs, platters, toothbrush-holders, serving bowls, soap dishes and more.
The couple set up in the area eight years ago, having trained in Berkshire and completed the Crafts Council business course in Kilkenny. "Kilkenny does draw people interested in craft. In part it's probably coincidence that they come here, but then there's an excitement here about craft. I get an adrenaline rush every time I open the kiln," says Mary.
Kevin Toner, of Toner Leathers near Thomastown, came here eight years ago and set up his leather studio two years later because people in the crafts business seemed to be doing well. "It was a struggle for about four years, but this year it has really come together."
He intends to remain a small operation, to remain "design- rather than product-led. I'm in here every day cutting and stitching. I get excited by new designs. I wouldn't ever want to be at a desk employing other people to make the goods."
Philip Cushen, of Cushendale Mills in Graiguenamanagh, which produces woven woollen and mohair goods such as blankets, throws and scarves, also feels he'll keep the operation small, though he is exporting to the US, Scandinavia and Germany.
His is a family craft and he agrees that his business is helped by Kilkenny's reputation for crafts, which draws customers to the area.