It was Mother Peter at her Loreto convent school who recognised Orla Kiely’s talent. “She was an artist herself,” remembers Kiely. “She could draw beautifully. And she was a very interesting woman. She saw something in me that I hadn’t begun to appreciate; she was an important influence.”

Mother Peter wasn’t wrong: today, Kiely’s distinctive designs are sold in 33 countries through more than 1,000 stockists.