Offaly Celebrates Traditional Craft Masters: OLDC Launches Craftmaster Documentaries.
Offaly Local Development Company (OLDC) presents “Legacy – Craftmasters,” a dedicated initiative celebrating the traditional skills masters.
As part of OLDC’s commitment to the exceptional talents of Offaly’s traditional craftspeople, a series of short documentaries have been produced to showcase some of the best of Offaly’s traditional crafts, from blacksmithing and weaving to jewellery design, basket weaving, slate carving, and Mountmellick embroidery. These documentaries highlight the incredible skills of the artisans who are preserving Ireland’s rich cultural heritage.
The official launch of the documentaries is scheduled to take place Friday, 26th July, during the 11th Annual Festival of That Beats Banagher. This festival has grown from OLDC’s Traditional Skills programme that started in 2014. The launch will be held in conjunction with Banagher’s first Fire Festival, where Forged in Ireland, led by Blacksmith James O’Connor, and the Furnace Festival will combine to showcase blacksmithing and smelting skills to the public. With up to 40 blacksmiths participating in demonstrations and competitions, the event will give attendees an insight into various aspects of the blacksmithing craft under the banner Forged in Ireland.
In addition, the weekend will also feature iron smelting workshops and demonstrations, which are being organised in collaboration with Paul Rondelez. The workshops will be delivered by renowned experts Jens Jørgen Olesen from Denmark and Kamila Brodowka from Poland. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to witness these demonstrations and even participate in the workshops themselves.
This Legacy Traditional Skills initiative aims to highlight the significance of these skills in cultural heritage and ensure their continuity for future generations. The programme acknowledges the importance of traditional crafts and the need to preserve them in our rapidly evolving society. By bridging the gap between the past and the present, the programme provided training workshops and events throughout Offaly from April 2021 to January 2024.
The primary objectives of the “Legacy” training programme were to:
- Preserve Traditional Skills: Identify and safeguard traditional skills and crafts at risk of being lost in time.
- Facilitate Learning and Appreciation: Provide individuals with opportunities to learn and appreciate traditional skills, fostering a sense of pride and respect for our heritage.
- Revitalise Traditional Skills: Bring traditional skills into the modern era, promoting their relevance and ensuring their sustainability for future generations.
The “Legacy” Traditional Skills project was funded through the Leader Rural Development Programme by the Offaly Local Development Company.
