Carrick-on-Suir to showcase its old crafts and industries for Canadian visitors

A Heritage Crafts Day is to be staged in Carrick-on-Suir next Wednesday, August 22 to showcase the town's traditional crafts and industries to more than 60 visitors from Newfoundland. 

The Suir Valley Ireland-Newfoundland Connections Committee is organising the series of free  exhibitions and craft demonstrations at Ormond Castle, the Tudor Artisan Hub as well as Brewery Lane and The Strand Theatres.  

While the Heritage Crafts Day events are being organised for the Newfoundland group's visit, they will be also open to the general public. 

The Newfoundlanders are visiting the Carrick-on-Suir area as part of the Ireland/Newfoundland Connections Festival, which celebrates the strong historical and cultural ties between the South East of Ireland and the Canadian province.  

Thousands of emigrants from this region settled in Newfoundland between 1760 and 1830 because of the flourishing fishing industry. An estimated 500 people from Carrick-on-Suir and its surrounding hinterland were among this wave of emigrants.

The Heritage Craft Day will  re-create some of the crafts and industries that existed in Carrick-on-Suir at the time the Newfoundlanders' ancestors emigrated. 

During a visit to Ormond Castle, the visitors will view a display of basket making by Cathy Hayden, who trained with Shanahan’s Willow Craft in Carrick-on-Suir.   

Harpist Meadhbh Quinton, who performs at the Bunratty Castle banquets, will play a selection of 17th and 18th Century music. 

Carrick’s former woollen industry will be remembered with weaving and spinning displays at Camphill in Castle Street. 

Meanwhile, Brewery Lane Theatre will host a display, talk and film on River Suir cot building under the direction of Pat Drohan. 

A locally built river cot will be on display along with a model of a horse-drawn barge used to transport  goods along the River Suir between Carrick and Clonmel.  Examples of Ahenny slate-craft by Owen McCarthy will also be exhibited. 

Over at the Strand Theatre, Rose and Alan Wells will display and demonstrate rush craft;  Eileen Murphy will showcase patchwork while John Davies will showcase candlemaking. 

 James O’Donoghue of Longways Tipperary Cider will highlight the excellent qualities of locally brewed cider and Kevin O’Toole of South Lodge Honey will illustrate bee keeping and honey production. 

Tony Fitzgerald will exhibit photographs and memories of Carrick-on-Suir's former leather industry. Many of them feature the Plunder & Pollak factory, Carrick’s major employer before its closure in 1984.

In the Tudor Artisan Hub,  Sheila Wood will paint a traditional Irish work scene. 

There will be two sessions during the day at each of the exhibition venues. They are: 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm. 

The Suir Valley Committee of Ireland-Newfoundland Connections said it wished to acknowledge the support and assistance of Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District and the Co. Tipperary Festival Grants Scheme.