1 July 1998

This autumn sees the launch of an exciting new initiative which is set to signal the revival of the craft of blacksmithing in Ireland.

This comes in the shape of the Cearta Inneona National Blacksmithing & Forging Centre in Belmullet, which will act as the driving force behind the regeneration of this ancient and still extremely relevant craft.

A fundamental part of Centre's activities is a two-year fully accredited Blacksmithing & Forging Foundation Course, designed to provide the grounding for a core group of craftsmen and women armed with a unique and extremely relevant range of skills for the contemporary marketplace and modern industrial needs.

Behind this project is the Cearta Inneona organisation, which was formed with the intention of re-establishing blacksmithing in Ireland as a viable and relevant skill for the future. Indicative of the significance of this major new project, substantial backing has been given by a number of organisations, notably the Crafts Council of Ireland and Udaras na Gaeltachta.

In Ireland the general perception of the blacksmith is of a craftsman whose role is now limited to heritage museums, novelty demonstrations for the public and (misguidedly) shoeing horses. This could not be further from the truth.

The continuing practical relevance and viability of blacksmithing in a contemporary context is widely recognised in other Western countries, with applications that range from the manufacture of craft and household products to architectural ironwork, restoration and public sculpture

The Cearta Inneona organisation believes that any attempt to revive blacksmithing in Ireland must address the needs of the 21st Century. With this in mind the two-year Foundation Course offers trainees not only a comprehensive grounding in blacksmithing practice and theory, but also art & design concepts, computing, IT and computer aided design, a dedicated business skills programme and, in recognition of the Centre's location in the heart of the North Mayo Gaeltacht, an integrated Irish language programme.

The Foundation Course is to be fully accredited under the auspices of the Crafts Council of Ireland.

This fresh and forward-looking approach makes the Blacksmithing & Forging Foundation Course a unique and highly attractive option for school leavers, the unemployed, and students in engineering and arts disciplines. On completion of the Course, students will be in a position to set up their own blacksmithing businesses or be eminently employable in existing blacksmithing or other industrial concerns.

Recruitment is currently in progress for the first two year Blacksmithing Foundation Course, which commences in September.

Anyone who would like further information should contact: Cearta Inneona, 21 Healy Terrace, Ballina. Tel: + 353 (0) 96 70998 Fax: + 353 (0) 96 72666 .

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - July 1998