Crafty Artisans

In my last post I finished off by telling you how reluctantly we left Lough Key Forest Park in search of Co Donegal and all her delights. As we hadn't really made any firm plans it was very much a case of a last minute look at the map and a small bit of whining from yours truly regarding the possibility of making a pilgrimage to the birthplace of my forebear's. So much for taking the coastal route; as half-planned by DG...

This way we travelled on main roads and by-passes through the very heart of the county; meeting some interesting folk along the way. The first of these was 'The Celtic Chieftan'; an enormous modern statue made from what appears to be chrome-clad copper. This oddity is really quite spectacular and heralds our ascent into the ancient northern parts of our beautiful country; despite his modernity he somehow fits in nicely with the dark of the stone mountains and the grey overcast skies above.

Shortly afterwards we passed by the city (town) of Sligo; which lies just outside of the shadow cast by the iconic table top mountain of Ben Bulbin. I have memories from earlier years of its slopes being daubed with political messages; referring to past troubles in 'the North (ie Northern Ireland). This was; and still is, a source of wonderment considering the sheer scale of its vast slopes and the sharpness of any ascent/descent. These days the vegetation is aux naturelles...

By the time we reached the turn off for Donegal Town; we were all ready for a pit-stop. We'd only been on the road for about an hour at this stage, but we weren't in a particular hurry and I knew just the place for us to stop! The Donegal Craft Village. What can I say? It lies on the old Ballyshannon Road just a half mile outside of the town itself, set slightly back from the road in what now appears to be a small industrial site. Despite unpromising appearances on our approach everyone was pleasantly surprised by what lay inside the white washed buildings.

I had been waxing lyrical about the Uilleann Pipe maker who'd been there from the very beginning; and was looking forward to showing his craft off to the boys. Unfortunately it appears that he moved on some time ago; as did my favourite artist, whose work I had promised myself over a decade ago! He's now based in Westport, Co Mayo.

What we did find instead was a collection of artisans who take both pleasure and pride in being able to showcase their work within the craft village; which provides them with work studio's as well as shop fronts. The McGonigle Sister's Glass Studio was the first to be inspected; alas money's tight this year and fragile goods don't make good holiday nic-nac's. Alongside peices of art for the walls or for display on a counter there are unique peices of hand made glass jewellery; all of which is both modern and funky enough for the modern miss to enjoy wearing. A reasonably priced gift for a special occasion perhaps?

In the other units I found examples of artisan works such as scarves woven out of a mixture of silk and seaweed; nestling alongside the more usual woollen creations. Felted purses lie at the opposite side of the cost scale; being very reasonable at less than €20.00, these could be a lovely gift for someone back home.

The coffee shop & mini bakery; Aroma is still alive and well, in fact they were awarded Bridgestone Awards 2008 and several other years. Their choice of coffee's may be restricted to espresso, cappuccino, americano and a couple of others but is of great quality and reasonably priced. I indulged in a Tunisian Orange Cake, while the lads each had an intensely chocolatey creation and DG had a slice Chocolate Almond Gateau. All I can say about them is "...mmmmmmh! Heaven!" LB who'd impetuously ordered Hot Chocolate to go with his Chocolatey Creation found the combination overwhelming and swiped my cappuccino. I can't say I blame him; as even I stuggled to finish his glass of liquid chocolate...

Next on the list of people to visit was the new artist Johnny McCabe. Apparently he's been there for a couple of years and despite the worryingly contemporary prints of various iconic artists on display in the window; I was actually very pleasantly surprised. Amongst the many originals which lined the walls of his gallery were several of well frequented beauty spots around the county of Donegal. One particularly striking painting was of sunset in Drumboe Woods; situated just outside the towns of Stranorla-Balleyboffey the naked trees carry an eerie history, which the artist somehow managed to reflect in his interpretation of the scene.

Thankfully the Silver Smith is still there. I love mooching around his tiny studio; listening to the radio accompanied by the rasping sounds of this man at his work. I already have two small peices of his work; purchased as an anniversary gift for myself shortly after my ex-husband and I separated, almost eleven years ago. Each time I go there I treat myself to something a little special and unique; although I did spy something special the person whom I had hoped would treat me had made good his escape to the car. I wonder if the alarm bells sounded when he spotted the studio!?

After this I called into the stonemason's shop with LB, and also the Bog Oak studio. In both cases the artwork on display was probably too expensive for our budget, but there was some very nice stuff for us to look at. In truth; I would always prefer a sculture made of Bog Oak to a modernistic peice of rock...

I suppose a part of me was disappointed with this years pilgrimage to the Donegal Craft Village, considering the changes which have taken place. There is still a lot to discover and enjoy; it's just different from how it was in the old days. The folks who have taken the units there are exceptionally fortunate to have such a custom built facility at their disposal and deserve all the exposure they can get as they are all truly talented and friendly people...