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| Cork members and guests |
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| Martin |
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| Robin |
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| John using one of his homemade jigs |
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| John explaining some of the finer details |
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We had fifty members at our February
Workshop at our usual venue at Togher. Our Chairman, John Ahern, was our first
demonstrator. His first item was a lovely box in Ash with a swivel lid. Martin,
our youngest member, said it all when he commented that it looked so simple to make. He readily
accepted the response that that is what good teachers do. Well done John.
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| John Ahern turning lidded box |
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| Martin examining lidded box |
He then went on to make a set of
ornaments that had a different pattern on all four sides. With a little extra
work they could be made into really beautiful bud vases.
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| John turning Trio of multi-axis bud vases |
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| Bud Vase |
The competition item this month was a
bowl, other than natural edged. Seamus
Healy, our Competition Master, had everything ship-shape as usual. During the tea-break the winners were
announced. They were Brendan Griffin in
the Beginners Section.
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| Brendan & John |
The Intermediate was won by Brian
Goulding with Hugh Garrett second and Bill O’Mahony, third.
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| John & Brian |
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| John & Bill |
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| Charley & John |
John Ahern, the Chairman, won the Advanced Section, Charley McCarthy got second and David Lee was third.
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| Hugh & John |
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| David & John |
After the break our second demonstrator
was pipe maker and piper John Mitchell. John first played a few tunes and then took
us through every step and aspect of making uilleann pipes. For those who don't
know what they are, they are the Irish form of the bag-pipes. Uilleann means
elbow and the pipes are so called because the bag is not inflated by the mouth
but by a bellows that is worked by the elbow.
John showed us the various tools that he makes up himself; he
demonstrated some of the work he does on the lathe and described how he makes,
using nickel silver, all the fittings, keys and all the other paraphernalia
that goes into making a set of pipes. The entire audience was fascinated and
indeed awestruck by the skill and expertise in our midst. It takes, according
to John, at least three months to make a full set of pipes.
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| John playing during the break |
The next meeting will, because of St.
Patrick's Day, be a week earlier than usual. That is the 9th March at the
Togher venue. The competition on that day will be a goblet with a special prize
for the tallest goblet on display.
