I’m a blacksmith based in Co. Sligo, which is in the north-west of Ireland. I’m originally from Portsmouth in the south of England, but my wife and I fell in-love with Sligo when on holiday here in 1999, and we...
Read More I’m a blacksmith based in Co. Sligo, which is in the north-west of
Ireland. I’m originally from Portsmouth in the south of England,
but my wife and I fell in-love with Sligo when on holiday here in
1999, and we moved over the following year.
I trained as a metal
fabricator after leaving school and didn’t start forging before
moving to Ireland, where I started working for local blacksmith Brian
Helpen. That was me hooked and I opened up my own forge in 2006.
Not long after I set
up by myself I won a RDS national craft award for excellence in iron
work and then went on to become the first blacksmith to be
shortlisted for the prestigious Golden Fleece award here in Ireland.
My work encompasses
functional and architecture work (both contemporary and restoration)
as well as sculptural work. I have been commissioned to create a
number of public sculptures as well as work for the National Museum
of Ireland and sculptures in German and Russia. The vast bulk of my
time over the last 18 years has been focused on traditional joinery
and hand skills. This was for two reasons at the beginning. When I
started my own forge I only had an anvil, leg vice and an old
bellows. So I had to create using tradition techniques. But also I
felt that I had a lot of catching up to do. Already in my 30s there
was so much for me to learn, still is. Also it has to be said that I
enjoy forging immensely and the challenge of creating contemporary
deigns with traditional skill sets is extremely rewarding and
invigorating.
