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‘Waterford is a wild and beautiful county – that sense of permanence and rootedness shapes our aesthetic’
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To celebrate the pioneering innovation of the Range Rover SV, we visit the formidable mother-and-daughter duo behind J. Hill’s Standard, the Waterford glass studio preserving centuries-old crystal craftsmanship, not by repeating the past, but by boldly reimagining it.
J. Hill’s Standard, the Irish crystal glassware brand founded by mother-and-daughter duo Anike Tyrrell and Ava Kelly, takes its name from John Hill – a mysterious 18th-century figure who vanished from Irish shores but left behind a standard of such exquisite brilliance it might as well have been a love letter to lead crystal. The brand doesn’t simply honour Irish heritage; it reinvents it.
That spirit of reinvention sits at the heart of Tyrrell’s vision. Although the county has long been lauded the world over for the skill of its crystal glassware craftsmanship, she saw an opportunity not merely to celebrate that legacy, but to evolve it.
“When Waterford Crystal closed,” begins Anike Tyrrell, founder of J. Hill’s Standard, “I initially thought about setting up a school to teach cutting and polishing. But without a viable business model to create demand, it just wasn’t sustainable. So instead, we decided to create our own glass business – with one very simple goal: to make sure those skills didn’t disappear from the county.”
Although the brand J. Hill’s Standard officially launched in 2015, Tyrrell had already spent three years quietly laying foundations, taking her brand name and inspiration from the journeyman glassmaker who arrived in Waterford from Stourbridge at a time when lead crystal was still a new and closely guarded material. “At heart, he was an innovator. That’s what the name represents for us,” Tyrrell explains.
That same spirit drew Tyrrell’s daughter, Ava Kelly, into the business. What began as part-time work after college for Ava quickly became permanent. “Because we’re so small; there’s really just the two of us, there’s a lot of crossover,” Kelly explains. She now shares creative direction, overseeing development of the brand’s bespoke arm, managing client relationships and bringing a younger, global-facing perspective to a craft once associated with formal dining rooms and heirloom cabinets.
From the outset, the mother-daughter pair made a conscious decision not to replicate traditional Waterford patterns. “Many makers naturally continued making what their hands knew,” Tyrrell says. “But we wanted something that wasn’t derivative – something original, democratic and usable.”
This balance between reverence and reinvention feels strikingly aligned with the ethos of the Range Rover SV: a vehicle that honours legacy while pushing quietly, confidently forward. Asked where she sees the synergy between the two brands, Tyrrell doesn’t hesitate. “It’s the refined use of material – expressing grace, tactility and the skilled application of craftsmanship,” she says. “For the owner, the joy is experienced with each interaction. Reliably serene, beautiful and satisfying. The kind of feeling that brings moments of meaning and peace in busy lives.”
Behind the wheel, that serenity is immediate. Kelly describes the SV as “beautiful to look at and to touch, tactile and responsive.” The simplicity of the user interface, she notes, belies “the complexity of the car’s capacity to deliver.”
Innovation at J. Hill’s Standard is frequently driven by constraint. “Limitations are exciting,” Tyrrell says. “Glass forces parameters, and those parameters push you to find new solutions.”
The studio now collaborates with designers beyond the traditional crystal world to include fashion designer Richard Malone, textile designer Irenie Cossie and illustrator Nigel Peake – inviting unfamiliar perspectives into a heritage craft. “Because they don’t think about the limitations of glass, they’re freer creatively,” Kelly explains. “Then it becomes our job to figure out how to make their ideas possible. That’s where innovation really happens.”
Place also remains central to everything they do. “Waterford is a wild and beautiful county – surrounded by mountains, rivers and sea,” Tyrell says. “That sense of permanence and rootedness shapes our aesthetic.”
She pauses, then smiles. “We’d love to think that if one of our glasses was found in someone’s garden in 500 years, it would still feel valuable. You’d know from the heft, the handling, the care in the making.”
This is one fact that has not changed over the centuries: in glassmaking, weight signals quality. It speaks of material integrity and human handling. ‘Heft’ is a word both women use often, whether describing a perfectly weighted tumbler or the grounded assurance of the car. In both instances, the ‘weight’ of quality is reassuring. In motion, the Range Rover SV carries that same sense of controlled power: engineered capability delivered with composure. “It has heft and solidity,” Tyrrell adds. “It feels safe, yet still exciting to drive.”
Luxury, they both agree, has shifted dramatically in recent years. “The ideal of luxury has gone through a major redefinition,” Tyrrell says thoughtfully. “The goal is to deliver a rare and worthwhile experience; something made with care, with skill. Ensuring that this experience is immediate with every interaction, that it brings pleasure in the use.”
“We don’t just want to make things,” Tyrrell says finally. “We want to make objects that become part of people’s lives and treasured family stories.”
In Waterford, and on the road, the future of luxury feels less about display, and more about meaning and the weight of permanence.
J. Hill’s Standard Guide to Lismore
The Farmgate
Having run the legendary Farmgate in Middleton since 1983, Maróg and Sally O’Brien bought an old premises in Lismore, which was originally run by the Casey sisters. The space offers a sensitively restored bar and restaurant, full of character with a wonderful snug if you are lucky enough to find it free). Polished wood, glinting candlelight, sculptures by Michael Quane, and fresh flowers add to the atmosphere. The garden at the rear is a joy in spring and summer, where you can sit under the apple trees and enjoy the wonderful food from chef David Doran, who has been part of the team for 30 years. They have just been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. A well-deserved accolade.
Lismore Castle Gardens
The gardens of Lismore Castle, set within the outer defensive walls, are divided into three distinct parts: the Reilig Garden, the Upper Garden, and the Lower Garden. The gardens collectively cover 10 acres and are the oldest cultivated gardens in the country.
The entrance is through the Reilig garden, which is so called because there is a medieval graveyard in this area. Some of the walls around this garden date back to the 13th century. The Reilig leads to the Upper garden, which was first constructed by Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Cork in about 1605. Most of the walls and terraces remain the same, although the plantings have changed to suit the tastes of those living within the Castle. This garden is a mix of ornamental borders and productive areas, with vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers grown for the kitchen and house.
The lower garden was mostly created in the 19th century for the 6th Duke of Devonshire, Sir Joseph Paxton’s patron. Meandering paths lead you through this informal setting of trees and shrubs and out onto open lawns. The stately yew avenue in the heart of the garden is much older than the garden itself. From the spring flowering magnolias and rhododendrons through to the later flowering shrubs and borders, there is always something in bloom. Throughout the garden, certain plants of interest are identified with numbers with corresponding information in the garden leaflet.
Lismore Castle Arts
Art also plays a very important role here: besides the collection of contemporary sculptures that can be found throughout the gardens, the west wing of the Castle is home to Lismore Castle Arts, a contemporary art gallery located in the Upper Garden and hosts exhibitions of international significance, projects, and events, as well as a comprehensive learning programme.
McGrath’s Butcher
This highly-prized, fourth-generation butcher shop is old school, where traditional methods and absolute commitment to quality are visible in the meat available there. In business since 1900, it is now run by Michael McGrath and his son John, ably assisted by master butchers, Bart and Bill. With an on-premises abattoir, not only do they finish and slaughter their own cattle, but also offer the facility to other local farmers. Their meats are cited as a point of pride in many fine restaurants, including The Tannery and Ballyvolane House
Blossom & Berry Flower Shop
Claudia O’Nell’s sustainable flower shop has been sporting a golden halo of mimosa blossom this month. Claudia sources flowers from local flower farmers and greenery from Irish Green Guys as much as possible, helping to support Irish based business in an industry that often relies on imports.
Lismore Goldsmith Jeweller
Both Úna O’Dwyer and Moritz Schurman are goldsmiths and jewellery designers and have a deep passion for their craft. They specialise in handmade and unique pieces. A husband and wife creative team, Úna and Moritz work closely with their clients to produce specially commissioned, one-off pieces.
Pinnacle of luxury
- Electric performance: The P510e Electric Hybrid seamlessly blends Land Rover’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine with a powerful 105kW electric motor and 38.2kWh battery. It delivers an electric driving range of up to 113km and CO2 emissions of just18g/km, delivering sustainability at its most powerful.
- Distinct identity: Range Rover SV offers enhanced levels of personalisation and is the first Range Rover to use the new ceramic SV roundel.
- Elevated offering: Standard (five-seat) and Long Wheelbase (four or five-seat) Range Rover body designs combine with SV Serenity and SV Intrepid design themes to offer unprecedented choice.
- First-class comfort: Optional four-seat SV signature configuration provides effortless convenience and elevated comfort, incorporating an electrically deployable Club Table.
- Luxury amplified: Exclusive design details, exquisite materials and curated design themes are available on Range Rover SV, alongside cool-to-the-touch ceramic controls and veneers, near-aniline leather, and the unique SV ceramic roundel.
- Intuitive technology: Range Rover SV is available with 13.1-inch Rear Seat Entertainment screens and high-fidelity headphones that are exclusively designed for SV and create a truly immersive experience.
Photography by Ruth Maria Murphy
For more information, please visit landrover.ie/range-rover.
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