Ciaran’s Peculier [sic] Blog

I am conscious that I devote far too much of my blog to horrible, shitty things like lying cabinet ministers and corrupt officials. I want to make amends by informing my readers of the updated website of my dear friend, the talented artist Maria Ginala. It is truly beautiful and heart-warming. http://fainomenon.webs.com/

Rob Steinke’s Museum of the Master Saddler at Corlough, Co. Cavan, truly is a unique placel iI t is the only museum dedicated to the work of the saddler and harness-maker - crafts which were vital in the past when we relied so much on horse traction. Saddlers were to be found throughout the country; here in Cavan town the Simon family provided saddles and harnesses for generations of people from their premises on the town’s main street.

Rob is holding two open days on Saturday August 23rd and Sunday (24th) - incidentally my birthday – when there will also be a launch of the Horse-Drawn Post Project, an ongoing exhibition show-casing the vital role of the horse in our postal system. I believe in progress, but I often wonder how it was that in the days of horse-drawn postal services a letter, newspaper or parcel could be posted in the evening in Cavan or Sligo, and be delivered directly in Dublin the next day. Now such items often have to take a detour to the south, to Athlone, where they are sorted and with luck will be delivered the next day but if they aren’t it’s a “system  failure”, i.e. it’s nobody’s fault – except your own for handing it over to the postal service in the first place! 

The museum springs from Rob’s own passion for saddle-making. He trained with Keith Luxford, the Queen’s saddler, and studied at Cordwainters’ Leatheer College in Hackney. He has written several books, including Repair Your Own Saddlery and Harness (J.A. Akken, London).

Rob Stainke is a very versatile and talented guy. Not only is he a genius in the world of saddlery and harness-making but he’s also a gifted artist, writer and photographer. What’s more he shares his talents through lessons and classes., but don’t take my word for it; visit his website!

I have connections with one of the other crafts ancillary to the use of horses in Ireland: my uncle Frank was a blacksmith, but with the replacement of horses by spanking new Volkswagon Beetles and Massery Fergusson tractors this trade became sadly obsolete, and we considered the fumes belching from the exhausts of these vehicles to be a sign of progress.

I am delighted to announce the arrival on the Cyberian super-bypass of a new website showcasing the work of two of my very dear friends, Maria Gkinala and Micheal O Raghallaigh. The Wood & Icon site ishows the creativity and craftsmanship of this amazing couple. It is heartening that Cavan can stil provide a fertile soil for such genius. Best of luck!