North Kerry man honoured with furniture design award after creating beautiful yet functional cabinet
Mr O'Flaherty secured the prize after impressing a panel of judges with the functionality and aesthetic appeal of his statement piece, 'The Split-Stone Cabinet'.
He was presented with the award by Paul Farrell, of Farrell Furniture, to become the fifth recipient of the award created in memory of the late Conor Farrell.
Mr O'Flaherty said it was a 'brilliant feeling' to have his creation recognised.
'It's my highest achievement to date since I began making furniture and it gives me great confidence in my own abilities,' he said.
The Kilmoyley man created the award-winning cabinet as part of his final year brief at ATU, which required the integration of Connemara Marble into a furniture product.
Liam's concept evolved from an initial idea to emulate a natural break in stone. This became the defining feature of his design.
'Connemara Marble is often referred to as the 'Gemstone of Ireland. It's a highly symbolic and valued Irish material, so I was very excited to get the opportunity to use it in a project,' Liam said.
The minimalist form of Liam's cabinet is influenced by mid-century design, and serves as a canvas for the Connemara Marble to stand out.
'This is not just a functional cabinet but a showcase of the beauty of Connemara Marble in an untraditional way, which is what I feel makes it so unique,' Liam explained.
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"I owe great credit to Brendan Joyce of Joyce's Marble Quarries and Lamont Stone, who helped manufacture my design to the highest standard.'
Jeremy Madden, chair of Furniture Design and Manufacture at ATU Connemara, praised Mr O'Flaherty's dedication.
'It was a real pleasure to work with Liam on this project. What stood out in his work was his ability to allow Connemara Marble to speak - balancing structure, story and surface with care,' Mr Madden said.
'Liam's approach was both restrained and confident and I'm so pleased to see this honoured by the Conor Farrell Design Award."
Having recently completed his studies at ATU Connemara, Mr O'Flaherty plans to establish his own workshop and begin a career in furniture design.
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