EVENTS INFINGAL
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Welcome to the Traditional Skills of Ireland Courtyard at Flavours of Fingal! Discover the rich heritage and craftsmanship of Ireland through hands-on demonstrations and exhibits. From stone masonry to blacksmithing, and tapestry weaving to lacemaking, immerse yourself in the timeless skills that have shaped our culture. Join us in celebrating the artisans who keep these traditions alive.
Fingal contains over 1,000 monuments and archaeological sites recorded to date, almost 800 protected structures, 32 Architectural Conservation Areas, 22 geological heritage sites and 127 historic demesnes. These include everything from the earliest evidence of humans almost 10,000 years ago near Balbriggan to the 62 thatch structures across the County. Along with our folklore, traditions and memories these make us Fingal. Find our more at the Heritage & Conservation tent or at https://www.fingal.ie/heritage-and-conservation
Meet the Heritage Officer: Did you know that Lambay Island was used as a prison? That there were wolves in Blanchardstown until 1652? That Queen Victoria visited Luttrellstown Castle twice? That the early medieval inhabitants of Rosepark in Balrothery were malting barley for brewing beer and importing wine from western France. Or that smuggler's ambushed revenue officers after they confiscated 800 casks of brandy and tea in the Burrow? Find out more at the Traditional Skills of Ireland.
Meet the Architectural Conservation Officer:
Learn how buildings were made in the past, using mud, lime, stone, brick, metal, straw and timber. See craftspeople and conservation contractors working with these materials. Ask how best to repair old buildings. Discover more about your own historic home by finding out where you can locate historic maps, early photographs and drawings or written sources on your local area. Visit the Traditional Skills of Ireland Courtyard @Flavours of Fingal.
Blas: Fingal's Food Heritage: In Fingal we have strong tradition of horticultural, farming and fishing. Our food heritage encompasses everything from grandparent’s recipes, cooking and utensils, traditional ways of farming and fishing, to folklore, the famine, and fieldnames. Share recipes and food memories at the Traditional Skills of Ireland or at https://www.fingal.ie/blas-fingals-food-heritage
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Participants Include:
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/National Built Heritage Service
- Fingal Heritage & Conservation
- Nolan’s Group Brick Conservation
- O’Flaherty Stone
- MacLyn Conservation
- Stephen Quinn Blacksmith
- Shem Caulfield, Wrought-iron date specialist
- Glasshaus
- Dylan McGuirk-mud walling
- Uisce Jakubczyk- Tapestry, weaving
- Petra Skyvova - Spining wheel and skein winder + pop up exhibition
- Irish Patchwork Society- will make butterflys & cup mats
- Guild of Irish Lacemakers
Dylan McGuirk - Mud Walling
Dylan McGuirk Conservation. I use traditional skills and traditional materials to conserve our built heritage. I work with wood, lime, mud and stone and residing in Wexford we specialise in mud wall repairs. Ireland was once covered with mud wall houses and theres still a few around especially in wexford and a lot of them have been badly abused over the years with bad maintenance and repairs with the wrong materials (cement) so I'm on a mission to save as many as I can! Mud/clay is such an amazing and versatile material that we should be using a lot more of, not just for repairing old buildings but also as a sustainable material for new builds too. My Instagram and Facebook is @Woodlandcrafted
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Uisce A. Jakubczyk is a weaver and fibre arts teacher from Poland, living in Ireland since 2004. She is the author of the “Women of Fingal” woven tapestry, which is currently on display in the Chapel of Swords Castle. At the Flavours of Fingal event, Uisce will be showing weaving techniques, a traditional skill which is deeply anchored in Irish heritage. She will also be presenting her personal approach to the art of weaving, using materials taken directly from nature and involving various up-cycled materials. Come along and try some weaving yourself!
Website: uisceart.com Facebook: UisceArt Instagram: uiscesart Behance: www.behance.net/uisceart
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Petra Skyvova holds an MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from UCD. She is an artist, arts projects co-ordinator and craft historian with a keen interest in Irish traditional arts and crafts, folklore and mythology. At the Flavours of Fingal County Show she will be presenting wool crafts and demonstrating traditional methods of wool spinning.
https://www.instagram.com/petruskasky/
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The Guild of Irish Lacemakers (GOIL) teaches, preserves and promotes traditional Irish lacemaking as well as encouraging the creation of new lace. We invite you to join us and discover the wide range of Irish laces and skills from bobbin, crochet, tatting to the numerous needlelaces as well as the history and tradition behind it all. We will be demonstrating lacemaking but also encouraging people to have a go themselves and maybe discover a new passion.
Website: https://irishlaceguild.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/the_guild_of_irish_lacemakers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOILIreland
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Nolans Group Conservation & Restoration, a well-respected specialist conservation firm working in the Irish conservation field for over 25 years will be demonstrating various traditional skills including masonry repointing using natural hydraulic lime mortars and brick making a traditional skill they have brought back to Ireland in the past few years. Join master craftspersons from Nolans Group Conservation & Restoration to make your own brick. Using traditional techniques each attendee can make and model their own miniature brick which they can initial and take home with them (unfired). Old clothes advised as attendees will be working with wet clay.
Website: www.nolansgroup.ie
Twitter/X: @TheNolansGroup
Instagram: nolansgroup
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The Irish Patchwork Society was founded in 1981 to promote the practice and art of Patchwork, Applique and Quilting in Ireland. The Eastern Branch is based in Dublin and we meet monthly. We provide talks, demonstrations, workshops and classes for beginners and experienced sewing enthusiasts. New members are always welcome.
Visit our website on www.irishpatchworksociety.wildapricot.org
Follow us on Instagram at ipseastern.
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Killian O’Flaherty, 8th generation Stonemason based in “The Granite Village” of Ballyknockan, County Wicklow. I run my own Masonry Conservation and Craft company with my sister Petra, the First registered Female Stonemason Apprentice in Ireland in over 30 years, as an apprentice.
The medium I most prefer to work with is Granite, in particular Irish Granite and even more so as it is all around me, above and below, Ballyknockan Granite. It is an extraordinary medium to work with because it has the advantage that it lasts. It doesn’t rot, it doesn’t rust. I consider myself very grateful to work with it.
I believe there is a huge potential in my craft to secure its future by respecting its past.
I am passionate about making the public aware that this craft is a living one, and while many are shocked that we can do what we do in granite, a notoriously challenging and hard stone, I know it can be crafted and sculpted to become anything and we want people to know this as well.
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Fingal Heritage (https://www.facebook.com/fingalculturalheritage/ and @FingalHeritage) on social
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Supported by the Heritage Council the Traditional Skills of Ireland is an action of the Fingal Heritage Plan 2024-2030.
