Cill Chainnigh is a typeface collectively designed at a workshop held by Jamie Smyth at the Tea Houses, Kilkenny on 29 October 2025.
Workshop participants were Paul Bokslag, Rachel Botha, Helena Gorey, Rachel Leahy, Pauline O’Connell, Roger O’Reilly, Rob Pearson, and Irene Whyte. Each participant was assigned several letters and / or numbers and was provided source material of vernacular typography from around Kilkenny to guide their designs. Participants created their letters using black card, scissors, and glue. The typeface was then digitised throughout November 2025.
The workshop was held as part of the Sharing Session series curated by Rachel Botha at the Tea Houses, Kilkenny and coincided with a short residency at the venue.
Jamie Smyth is an Irish graphic designer with an interest in typography, design research, and publishing. He currently works as a research assistant at NODUS Sustainable Design Research Group, Helsinki, and has previously worked as a graphic designer at studios including Pentagram. He holds a BA in Visual Communication from NCAD, Dublin, and is currently finalising a MA in Design from Aalto University, Helsinki. He has worked with clients including the Regional Cultural Centre, Trinity College Dublin, Glebe House, Catalyst Arts, MART, 126 Gallery, Kilkenny Arts Office, Backwater Artists, Thames & Hudson, Nokia Design Archive, and the V&A.
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Kindly supported by Kilkenny Arts Office, Kilkenny County Council and Arts Council, Ireland.
