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You are > Home > Building on the crafts from the past
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
Building on the crafts from the past
CRAFTS ARE PART of our heritage, but in times past they were the trades of the time.
It is remarkable that all crafts have survived, albeit in small numbers, however, as long as the knowledge is available there is always the possibility that some of them could make a comeback when our obsession with the technological era expires!
However, as a temporary temptation, crafts are coming to Enniscorthy this weekend with the Traditional Building Crafts Expo 2010 at the National 1798 Centre, Enniscorthy, and an opportunity exists to see masters of their craft display their talent.
This event is worthy of massive support because it is a fund-raiser for The Athenaeum Restoration Fund and a great deal of soul searching for a variety of crafts from some of the leading exponents in the country has been the genesis of this exhibition.
Thanks to the co-operation of Helen Ashdown and Paddy Byrne, I can supply a brief introduction to some of the craftsmen who will be displaying their expertise, but what they do is more than that, they are preservationists and educationalists.
Paul Finch from Kildare is a coppersmith, a craft that has been in existence since somewhere between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, and he should be popular with the attendance.
The farrier still carries on a busy trade with racehorses and showjumpers, however, in times past when travel by horse and cart was common, practically every crossroads in rural Ireland had a forge.
There were several forges in all the major towns. Applying shoes to horse’s feet will be Rory McGrath from Portlaoise.
This is a fascinating skill that demands applying intense heat to the iron, shaping it to fit the horses foot, ingest the smell of the burning hoof of the animal as the shoe is moulded into place, and finally hammering the nails into the hoof to secure the new footwear.
Con McGinley is a veteran basket weaver from Donegal who was featured in the famous 'Hands' series produced by David Shaw-Smith for RTE television in the 1980's. Basket weaving is one of the oldest spread crafts and has been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old and was discovered in Egypt.
Pottery continues as a living craft and is carried on successfully in the environs of Enniscorthy at Carley's Bridge Potteries, the oldest in Ireland and over 300 years old, and at Kiltrea by the banks of the River Urrin.
Paul Moloney at Barntown and Patricia Howard at Rathangan are also active in this art of producing a variety of useful objects from clay. It appears simple enough when observed by a master at work, but a skill that has failed many a trier.
Sally Lavery from Rochestown, New Ross, will be bringing her skills before public attention at Enniscorthy and her efforts deserve close attention. Jenny Crean from Ballyhogue is a glass artist who uses glass to create works of art, from small pieces to large architectural panels. .
He has a well-known name and the son of a top Wexford hurler from the 1950's and early 1960's, but Martin Codd is a dry stone wall maker, and since he is a local to the Blackstairs he is within easy distance of the raw materials.
Paddy Byrne is from Enniscorthy and he will educate the onlookers in the trade known as "mud brick making and wattle lathing." Paddy tells me that "Lath and plaster is an extension of an idea that was used long before the invention of plasterboard by Augustino Sackett in approximately 1888."
"Plasterboard took a while to catch on and was introduced to the UK in 1917. It became widely used and started to replace Lath and Plaster by the 1930's", added Paddy.
Pole-Lathing is demonstrated by Eoin Donnelly at every field day and major occasion in the South East, so this craft needs no explanation, except to state that Eoin will be plying his trade next Sunday.
Natural organic pigments were a significant part of historical pigments before the modern era and engaged to demonstrate the art is Edward Byrne, who comes from Shillelagh in the neighbouring county of Wicklow and a specialist in lime mortar and natural paint pigments.
John Brearton practices what he preaches and lives in a beautiful thatched house in Kildare, but he travels the length and breath of the country thatching roofs as well as appearing at numerous fairs and festivals.
At Enniscorthy, John will be explaining that the most efficient form of thatching is the use of water reed that can last up to sixty years as opposed to the use of straw which is equally as efficient, but has a much shorter replacement life.
In the old days bog oak was a favourite raw material of the wood carver, and I know that Martin O'Rourke uses this material at Ballyhogue, but exhibiting his skills in this arena is Niall O’Neill, who is a bog oak carver and also a cabinet maker.
Niall Deacon is a well established stone worker and carver at Killanne who makes great use of the locally available granite stone.
Niall clearly lays out his stall: "My objective is to use Irish stone, in coarse hand worked finishes to create forms, unique and abstract, in which I can express myself, and keep the tradition of hand carving stone in Ireland alive."
A random slating expert from Wicklow, John Gossip, is also an exhibitor.
"Random slating involves the complex procedure of roofing with slates of differing widths, lengths and sometimes thickness", according to John.
Another exhibitor is Sean Mythen presenting the Ferns Heritage Photographic Exhibition, which we understand is being promoted by Ferns Historical Society to impress their application for heritage status.
I am told that Dave Walsh, a walking stick manufacturer and wood carver, Gary Comerford from Wexford, will be encouraging people to support the natural product.
The Traditional Crafts Expo 2010 takes place in the grounds of the National 1798 Centre, Enniscorthy, on Saturday and Sunday, May 22nd and 23rd from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on both days.
The halcyon days of the trades ran in tandem with mighty days of the Fairs and Markets. In recent times country markets have been re-organised in many towns.
The monthly Fair was held at Enniscorthy on the third Tuesday of each month. Except during the month of April when two Fairs were held.
There was always a great atmosphere of business in the town of Enniscorthy of a Fair Day. The farmers came into town with their stock to sell and to transact other business.
They would walk their animals into town from Oylegate, Bree, Davidstown, Marshalstown, Monageer, Glenbrien, and in some faraway places it was necessary to leave home in the middle of the night to be in town on time.
The buying and selling started at 6 o’clock in the morning or as soon as daylight appeared on the winter sky.
The publicans had a special exemption to open at 7 o’clock in the morning even though they did not provide any kind of breakfast service, but trade was always good, especially on a frosty morning when the malt would be flowing freely.
The banter was great and some lasting friendships ensued.
The cattle buyers were a breed apart from the rest.
They came to Enniscorthy the night before and stayed at Bennett’s Hotel and the Railway Hotel.
It was easy to spot them in their broad rimmed hats, cavalry trousers, cromby coats and high yellow boots. Those were the days!
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