West Cork Heritage Skills Weekend
Schedule
Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 at 10:00 am to Mon, 16 Mar, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC+00:00Location
Myross Wood House, Leap, Ireland P81Y192 | Clonakilty, CK
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Join us for the first ever West Cork Heritage Skills Weekend in March 2026!
We will be joined by 4 local teachers, who are all masters of traditional skills and crafts:
Victor Daly – Stonecarver
JJ Bowen – Blacksmith
Karl Kennedy – Dry Stone Wall Builder
Rosemary Kavanagh – Basket Maker
This wholesome 3-day event is the perfect antidote to the usual boozy St Patrick’s weekend…evening trips to the pubs in Leap are optional!
Participants will have the chance to try all 4 of these different crafts over the course of the weekend.
Lunch is included in your ticket and additional meals and accommodation are available on-site at CECAS. Just email [email protected] with your booking requirements.
This ticket would make the perfect Christmas present for someone special…we can provide you with a printable gift voucher, just email us to request!
Price: €550 (3 x lunches and all materials included)
About the Facilitators:
Victor Daly - Stone Carver
Victor specialises in letter cutting/stone carving using traditional mallet and chisel methods. He has worked in this business for over 40 years and is passionate about keeping the traditional skill of stone carving and letter cutting alive in Ireland. He initiated and ran the West Cork Stone Symposium for three years, until it was brought to a halt by Covid in 2020.
To that end, he runs monthly beginners’ courses from his workshop in Ahakista on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula, West Cork. Details of these can be found on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
John Joe Bowen - Blacksmith
With over 26 years of experience, blacksmithing has taken me on a journey of discovery, I never know what the future holds for me and this is exciting. I have countless pieces all around me that are works in progress. Some could take years to finish and end up completely different than first planned. I work one on one with the fire, it’s like another person. The life of the fire dictates the pace of the work, you can't rush it, you have to be patient, whether that's working on a decorative gate, staircase or a piece of sculpture. There has been a renewed interest in blacksmithing and it's exciting to pass on my knowledge and to encourage the next generation to keep this important craft alive.
Karl Kennedy - Dry Stone Waller
Originally from Dublin, I am now living in Castletownbere. Served an apprenticeship in bricklaying in Guinnesss brewery. I worked in an insurance company for several years. Then I studied horticulture and completed a course in dry stonework. I have been self-employed since 2016 working at landscaping. I moved to West Cork in 2019 and have worked at dry stone building since then including several projects with a garden designer. I am currently involved with a group running workshops showing people how to repair and build dry stone walls and structures.
Rosemary Kavanagh - Basket Maker
My name is Rosemary, and I am the two hands behind Wild Rose Basketry. I have dedicated the past 15 to ‘courting’ many ancient and heritage arts—beginning with making my first treasured basket at seventeen. Little did I know that moment would forever change me and the direction of my life forever. In many ways my life has been consumed with the ancient questions of ‘what makes us human?’ and ‘what makes us thrive in our humanity?’ My adult life has predominantly been dedicated to studying the ancient art of willow basketry. I have also studied organic gardening, traditional bark tanning, leather craft, fibre arts (felting, knitting, spinning and natural dying), herbalism, animal husbandry, and working with hedgerow plants.
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Where is it happening?
Myross Wood House, Leap, Ireland P81Y192, Clonakilty, IrelandEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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