A Mother & Son, Continuing a Legacy
Jane and Conor McCluskey produce a range of porcelain and stoneware — handmade and decorated ceramics — from their workshop outside Limavady on the North Atlantic Coast of Northern Ireland.
Inspired by Irish culture and the surrounding landscape, from the mountains down to the sea, every piece they create carries a thread of the place they call home.
How It All Began Again
During the Covid lockdowns, Jane and Conor cleared out Séan's old workshop. Among the dust and memories, they found his clay, tools, and equipment. For fun, they tried recreating one of Séan's original brooch designs — and it proved a hit with friends and family.
What started as a lockdown project became something much more. And so, a new chapter of McCluskey Pottery began — mother and son, working side by side, designing and creating a fresh range while honouring the craft and spirit that Séan had poured into the original studio for over twenty years.
In Memory of Séan McCluskey (1958–2011)
Séan McCluskey was an acclaimed ceramicist, teacher, and devoted family man who lived and worked in Limavady.
Séan McCluskey at the wheel
Born in Belfast in 1958, Séan studied ceramics and 3D design at Belfast College of Art (now University of Ulster), graduating with a BA Honours in 1980. He went on to develop his craft in potteries across America, France, England and Sweden, drawing influences from Japanese and medieval pottery traditions.
In 1987, Séan married Jane and opened a pottery studio in Violet Street, Derry. Two years later, they moved to Limavady and established McCluskey Pottery on the Gortgarn Road. For the next twenty-two years, Séan ran a thriving business — having worked with clay since 1977. His pottery was found in many leading craft centres and galleries across Ireland, and his work is held in the permanent collection of the Ulster Museum.
Perhaps best known for his large one-off sculptural pieces and commissions, Séan's work was all handmade and hand-decorated stoneware, inspired by the surrounding flora, hues and landscape of the Roe Valley — incorporating elements of nature and the sea.
Beyond pottery, Séan was deeply rooted in his community. A keen sportsman, he coached junior Gaelic football for the local Wolf Hound's Club. He was actively involved with The Ulster Project and the W.E.T. Life project, building wells and hospitals for the Masai people in Kajiado, Kenya.
When the economic downturn hit the craft sector, Séan turned to teaching — sharing his artistic and pottery skills with students across schools in Limavady, Coleraine and the North Coast. He was teaching and making pots until the day he passed away suddenly on 13th February 2011.
His legacy lives on in every piece we make.
