Woodworking stuff to see/do in Ireland
thebardowl
| Posted in General Discussion on
Because of a bunch of stuff utterly irrelevant to what I want here, the wife and I are going to Ireland this summer. We’ll be going in and out of Dublin, and she’s making a list of things we’re going to do in that fine city, but we wanna get out and about in the country a bit, too. She’s asked me for my input, and I realized that maybe there’s something woodworking-related to do/see/experience or what have you on the Emerald Isle that I wouldn’t otherwise come across.
Anybody have any suggestions or ideas? My relevant interests are in furniture making and cabinetry, hand tools and their use, and history (of artisanry and the like, especially).
Replies
There is a fantastic book on Irish furniture, and it includes a ton of places where you can see it first hand. The author's name is Claudia Kinmonth.
https://www.amazon.com/Irish-Country-Furniture-Furnishings-1700-2000/dp/1782054057
Interesting question. I’m a woodworker, and an Irish citizen, but even though I go back to Ireland every year I’ve never sought out woodworking-related things. Please let us know if you come up with anything.
Well, a fat lot of help you are! ;-)
One thing I just discovered this morning is the National Museum of Ireland—Country Life, near Castlebar in Co. Mayo. They’ve even got a temporary exhibition (thru September, I believe) on “Our Irish Chair: Revisited”, featuring what they call the Sligo or Tuam chair. That exhibition looks to be quite possibly a one-trick pony, but I can’t help but wonder what else there might be there. There’s also the National Museum of Ireland—Decorative Arts & History, in Dublin, that I suspect might be well worth a visit. Now you know as much as I do about ‘em.
@John_C2 just mentioned here something I’d heard of but forgotten—Claudia Kinmoth’s book on Irish furniture. I do believe I’ll have to take a dive into that before I go. And @NDMatt tells us of someone named Glenn Lucas, a woodturner offering classes in Co. Carlow. Not sure if I can persuade the wife that me spending a day learning to turn is good use of precious vacation time, but we might have to talk about it.
My favorite pub in Brighton was the Castlebar.
Look up Glenn Lucas woodturning. He offers classes in County Carlow.
If you do go to Castlebar it's worth the 10-11 miles drive west to one of my favorite towns, and pubs, in Ireland, Westport. And if you're an Irish music fan, Matt Malloy's Pub (Matt of The Chieftains) is a perfect way to spend an evening in front of a peat fire listening to live traditional music while drinking a Guinness or a Beamish. Many of the most famous musicians in the world have been through his doors there. I know, not wood-related, but there's nice old woodwork in the pub. :-) https://www.mattmolloy.com/home
Okay, that just got written in ink on the “Gotta Do” list. Thanks for the tip. Sounds absolutely splendid.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled