This rare and extraordinary collection of Irish Craft
documentaries is available on videotape or DVD.
A book from the series Traditional Crafts of Ireland in colour throughout covering over forty crafts, can also be purchased.
'Hands'
Textiles:
1. Wool spinning - Demonstrates the big and small wheel, hand spinning and dyeing techniques. ® I/P
2. Irish Patchwork - Shows a variety of clearly described techniques and examples, including a magnificent collection of antique patchwork. ®
3. Irish Lace - The history of Irish lace including historic paintings; also sequences showing the creation of different types of lace. ® I/P
4. Irish Embroidery - Includes the social history, numerous making sequences, historical collections and embroidery agents. ® I/P
5. Donegal Weavers - Features the work of out weavers and farmers, providing a rare glimpse of a life style and a practice now disappearing. ®
6. Woollen Mill - At the Old mill on the River camac, Dublin we see designing, mule spinning, blending & hand - weaving tweed, washing and finishing. ®
7. Donegal Carpets - Demonstrates the process of dying wool and making a hand knotted carpet at this well known Killybegs, Co. Donegal Company. ®
8. Tailor - Feature Michael Johnson, a bespoke tailor from an old family establishment in Tullow, Co. Carlow, making and fitting a suit for a customer using traditional techniques. ® I/P
9. English Silk (1 hour) - This award-winning one hour special, shows the complete story from the cycle and rearing of silkworms, the rare process of reeling silk from the cocoon to traditional spinning and weaving of silk. Also features hand-block making and printing. ® I/P
Wood:
10. Carriage Building - At Breen's Carriage works, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford we see the five trades - wood-turner / bodybuilder, wheelwright, blacksmith, painter and upholsterer that go into making traps, gigs and landaus in the traditional manner. ®
11. Cavan Cabinetmakers - This fascinating film about Robinson brothers of Milltown, Co. Cavan shows the fine craftsmanship that goes into the making of a dining-room suite, including intarsia and inlay work. ®
12. Cavan Cooper - A unique film about the remarkable Ned Gavin, the last of the Country Coopers, his philosophy and craft including stave-built churns and barrels. ® I/P
13. Chairmaker John Surlis - Features the making of 'the Leitrim Chair' a rustic slab and stick chair using cleft ash, the drawknife and the cooper's mare. ®
14. Dublin's Viking Longship (1 hour) - This one hour programme follows the course of a community project to build a Viking Longship in celebration of Dublin's Millennium. We travel with the builders from the Ship Museum in Oslo, through the building sequence to the inaugural voyage. ®
15. Harp Making - The Forgotten Sound - in Kenmare, Co. Kerry we see the making of the wire strung low headed Irish Harp of antiquity, including film of the historic Brian Boru harp in Trinity College, Dublin. ®
16. Hurl Making - Starting with the selection of the Ash tree we follow the traditional techniques, including use of a water-powered sawmill and the making of the sliotar (leather ball) culminating in the all-Ireland final. ®
17. Irish Spinning wheel Making - Demonstrates the construction in Cardonagh, Co. Donegal of the small or low spinning wheel, first introduced into Ireland in the 17th Century for spinning flax. Includes spinning sequences. ®
18. Shannon One Design - In Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon we see Jimmy Furey building a traditional lake and river Shannon sailing boat including selection of timber, steam bending and sailing. ®
Ceramics:
19. Carlies Bridge Potteries - From Ireland's oldest pottery Est. 1659 in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the film features master-potter Paddy Murphy digging the clay, throwing and firing earthenware in a coal fired beehive kiln. ®
20. Belleek Potteries (1 hour) - This one hour special tells the history of the famous Belleek Pottery, Co. Fermanagh, and shows traditional techniques including hand-modelling of Parian ware, slip casting and fettling. ® I/P
21. Pipe Works - A fascinating and rare film on the complete production of industrial clay drainage pipes and handmade Armstrong junctions, all fired in the largest beehive kiln in Ireland at Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. ®
Metal:
22. A Dublin Silversmith - Features spinning and raising silver, snarling, chasing and piercing, casting hollow-ware, and making a silver teapot. ® I/P
23. Powers of Metal - This entertaining and unusual film shows the Power family from New Ross, Co. Wexford casting a nineteenth-century garden seat, includes other sand-casting and foundry work. ® I/P*
Stone:
24. Stone - This film shows the life and work of Dublin and Wicklow quarrymen, stonecutters, masons and carvers. Including the carving of decorative marble panels and laying of cobblestones. ®
Leather:
25. Dublin's Workhorses - In this film of Dublin street life we see the work of the farrier, shoeing the horses as well as traditional harness and collar making. ®
26. Shoemaking - Features the craft of George Tuttie from Naas, Co. Kildare. We see the making of handmade shoes from the measure, fitting up the wooden last, sewing the uppers and building the sole. ® I/P
27. A Dublin Bookbinder - Demonstrates the ancient craft of bookbinding including designing the covers, sewing the gathers, gilding and burnishing, tooling and restoration. Also shows collection from Marsh's library, Dublin. ®
28. The Saddler - From the Bernies' long established family firm in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare the film shows the traditional hand making of saddles and bridles. ®
29. Currachs - This film shows Ireland' prehistoric skin boats, their regional variations, use and construction. Including the rare Co. Donegal paddled currach. ®
Willow, Rush and Straw:
30. Rushwork - In Strokestown, Co. Roscommon we see harvesting of rushes on Lough Ree, curing and making traditional rush baskets and other items. ®
31. Basketmaking - Features the Shanahan brothers of Carrick-on-Suir, the last of the old-style professional basketmakers. This documentary shows the preparation and making of traditional baskets from eel-traps to balloon baskets. ®
32. Wexford Thatcher - Demonstrates the full cycle from harvesting, stream threshing, scallop-making and thatching at Cleary's town and Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford. ®
Miscellaneous:
33. Fermanagh Country - This historic and unique documentary records the Mulholland family from Co. Fermanagh in a traditional Irish lifestyle long gone. It includes farming, quarrying and making circular grinding wheels and whetstones for sharpening scythes. ® I/P*
34. Stoneground - Martry Mill was established near Kells Co. Meath in 1659. It is owned by the talon family. This film shows the waterwheel, mill machinery, millstone dressing and the milling process. ®
35. A Dublin Candle maker - Features Rathborne, wax-chandlers, Dublin's oldest company established in 1488. Shows the fascinating processes of making hand poured and dipped candles. ®
36. Of Bees and Bee Skips - Winner of the Golden Harp for Ireland, and in the Museum of Modern Art collection, New York, this arresting and moving documentary records the traditional work of bee-keeping from making a straw skep to catching a swarm, and extracting honey. ® I/P*
37. Lighthouse Crafts - Filmed on some of Ireland's most famous lighthouses, including the Fastnet rock, this film captures the closing years of the lighthouse keepers, their way of life and crafts. ®
Key: ® A rare, unusual or unique film. *Award winning film. I/P in a permanent museum or international collection.
Price List
Each half-hour documentary on DVD costs £25.00
Each one-hour documentary on DVD costs £30.00
Full series of 37 documentaries plus free book* £600.00
14 DVD box set of all 37 films costs £125.00
*The book Traditional Crafts of Ireland £30.00 plus p&p
PLEASE ORDER BY NAME &
NUMBER
Enquiries to Daniel Shaw-Smith, 2. Camden Terrace, London NW1 9BP; Tel: 0779 4459126; Email: dshawsmith@hotmail.com; Website www.irelandstraditionalcrafts.com
Other titles available by David Shaw-Smith
Connemara and its Ponies (1/2 hour) This remarkable, half hour colour documentary, shot in 1969 has been shown around the world. It features a year in the life of the Connemara pony, starting with never-before recorded footage of the birth of a foal in the open. It shows the famous Clifden Pony Show and the Maam Cross horse fair. It also reveals a traditional way of life in the west of Ireland that has long since gone.
Price £25.00 (Includes P & P)
The Angling Experience (1/2 hour x 4)
This series of four half-hour fishing programmes was made for Channel 4 UK. It consists of:
| The Mayfly | Irish Spring Salmon |
| Irish Summer Salmon | Irish Fighting Pike |
This complete set costs £56.00 or £25.00 per programme (includes P & P)
To purchase the above titles please write, phone or e-mail: Daniel Shaw-Smith,
2. Camden Terrace; London NW1 9BP; Tel: 0779 4459126; Email: dshawsmith@hotmail.com; Website www.irelandstraditionalcrafts.com