Irelands Traditional Crafts

Throughout the world the material that is available determines

the crafts of the nations. People use those materials in their
everyday life and their crafts that they can find and gather in their
environment. Although, the conditions can be the same or similar,
geographical closeness does not mean that the motifs are also the
same. It is frequently the case that countries that are situated in
different areas of the world use similar patterns in their crafts.
Ireland is part of the British Isles, nevertheless, its motifs show
similarity to Hungarian patterns. I am going to support this
statement through presenting different types of Irish crafts and
their motives in a nutshell.

Textiles

include crios weaving, handknitting, embroidery,

patchwork, carpets, tailoring, lace and crochet. The preparation

procedure expands from spinning, dyeing to weaving, fulling and
napping of wool and flax. For dyeing horsetail, broom, heather,
weld, fuschia, blackberry and onion are used to give those lively
colours to the materials. Crios is a kind of colourful belt worn by
men. The patterns of handknitting are amazingly similar to the
motifs made in Hungary, probably taken over from Irish knitting.
This is also true with embroidery, regarding the similarity to the
works of one of the Hungarian regions. Patchwork is very
fashionable in the western world nowadays, it is rediscovered. The
Irish make superb bedcovers, and gentlemens silk waistcoat linings
using printed cotton fabrics, silk, satins and taffetas. The technique
of lace and crochet is mainly applied in making womens collars,
cuffs and table-clothes.

Stoneworks include stonecutting, -applied mainly at producing

shrines- and masonry. We can also mention clare slate that is used
for paving and roofing. Drystone walling is the way of building
typical stone walls.

Woodworks

range from coopering through furniture, hurls,

pipes, spinning wheels, cabinets, sticks, lake boats, the Greencastle

Yawl, wooden boats of the west coast, currachs (a kind of sea-going

boats), Uilleann pipes, violins, bodhrns (a kind of drum made of
goat skin tightened over a beechwood rim), lambegs, to harps.

Straw

is used for covering buildings (a great varieties of roof

shapes), making bee-skeps, and Sgn chairs (seats).

Willow is the basic material of baskets and containers made in

different shapes and for different purposes, for instance gathering
turf, harvesting potatoes, straining and serving potatoes, trapping
eels in River Suir, and in ancient times for being used as a battle
shield.

Rush

is mostly used for creating shopping baskets and

wastepaper basket.

Leather

is also a material utilized in various ways. Harnesses

and saddles, hurling balls, shoes, pampooties are all made of

leather. Pampooties are summer footwear worn by men; they are
ideal for walking on the sharp limestone rocks of the Aran Islands
Bookbinding also use leather for finishing.

Metalwork

is

also

branching

out

area,

includes

blacksmithing, spades (different forms in different areas, depending

on the soil), carriages and gold-and silversmithing (dishes as well as
jewels). Armour is also involved, for example shields, scabbards and
weapons.

Pottery covers coarse ware (for household use), fine ware and
art pottery.

Glassware is famous for its Waterford crystal that is engraved

in limited editions.

Candlemaking

is imported from Chester in England by the

Rathborne family. They ure mainly pure beeswax for making church
candles in a traditional way.

The

characteristic celtic motifs are noticeable on several

pieces of the above shown crafts and their revival can be seen in
different areas of life nowadays.

Reference work: Irelands Traditional Crafts