The builders keeping historic crafts alive

David O’Donnell Anderson is a joiner by trade

“You’re quite literally hammering stone all day long, but when you can stand back and see what you have created, I just love the permanence of it.”

David O’Donnell Anderson is a joiner by trade, but more recently he’s developed an interest in the ancient art of stonework.

He is part of a new of generation of builders being trained to keep historical skills like blacksmithing, thatching and stonemasonry alive.

The All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme gives aspiring craftspeople an opportunity to work on some of the rarest historic buildings on the island of Ireland.

Jonathon Drummond has trained as a blacksmith

It is in its third year and was developed by The King’s Foundation in partnership with the Heritage Council and Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities.

"The key theme is about keeping these vital heritage skills alive,” said Hugh Kavanagh from The King’s Foundation.

He added: “The reality is as people get older, we’re in danger of losing some of these skills, so a programme like this ensures that doesn’t happen.”

The day I visited the Heritage Skills Centre in Moira it was buzzing with activity.

In a large shed two students were chiselling away at a large piece of stone, further down the yard a master blacksmith was heating and moulding iron and in the next room a crafted pace of wood was being intricately painted.

Transferable skills

David O’Donnell Anderson says the skills are transferrable

David O’Donnell Anderson said his training in stonemasonry has helped inform his work as a joiner.

“Although they’re two different mediums, the better I get at carving stone, the better I get at carving wood, so there’s transferable skills there,” he said.

When I first encountered Jonathon Drummond in the workshop, he had a blowtorch in hand and a protective metal facemask on.

He said: “What you’re seeing me do today is practicing the craft of being a blacksmith and this craft has been about for about 4,000 years.

“People love going to see historic sites across Northern Ireland, but without these historic skills maintaining them, they’d start to fadeaway and fall apart.”

The group from the skills programme restored part of a centuries-old bridge in County Tyrone

There is a practical element to the heritage skills programme.

Those taking part bring what they’ve learnt into the real world by working on elements of historic buildings in need of repair.

This year the apprentices were tasked with repairing an old bridge at an historic country house in County Tyrone.

Part of the White Bridge on the grounds of Lissan House just outside Cookstown had been missing since the early 20th Century.

The apprentices helped restore a distinctive chinoiserie fretwork balustrade that originally ran along the top of the bridge.

The piece was completed last month.

'Long after I’m gone this will be here'

Members of the All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme at Lissan House

Commenting after the unveiling of the work, Hugh Kavanagh said: “The guys used everything from carpentry, to stonemasonry, painting and blacksmith skills to achieve this and it looks amazing.”

Hugh Kavanagh from the King's Foundation was impressed by the work of the apprentices

Blacksmith Jonathon Drummond was also there on the day to inspect his own work on the iron brackets used to hold the piece in place.

He said: “I love working on things like this that are hundreds of years old.

“I get an immense sense of pleasure knowing that long after I’m gone, something I’ve made will be here for other people to enjoy.”