2026
4th – 8th May, 14th – 18th September
What is my connection to the Irish carving traditions, I’m not Irish and don’t claim to be?
But I was brought up and trained in Islington which has a big Irish population, where I had the pleasure, over 40 years ago, of learning from first generation Irish carvers and masons. This experience allowed me to have the Bearlog or Bearlager, the language of Irish stonemasons, and has kept me connected with many lifelong friends from Ireland.
More importantly for my career, I was trained in traditional Irish carving techniques, including what we call the Irish Celto-Scandinavian style.
Islington has a long and strong connection with Ireland. At the time of my birth, Islington held the distinction of having the sixth-highest percentage of Irish individuals of any British parliamentary constituency outside Northern Ireland. The local Member of Parliament was Michael O’Halloran, who hailed from County Clare.
The 1980s witnessed a significant economic downturn in Ireland, prompting yet another wave of migrants to Britain. This latest group was typically highly educated and encompassed a wide range of professions, with many choosing to settle in Islington. By 1983, the Irish in Islington project estimated that approximately one in five residents was either born in Ireland or had Irish parents.
Today, Islington is known for having one of the largest Irish populations in the UK. It is estimated that around six million people living in Great Britain have at least one Irish grandparent, constituting about 10 per cent of the total UK population.
The Irish community in Islington continues to make a significant impact across various sectors, including the medical profession, commerce, the arts, construction, local government, politics, and the trade union movement. Furthermore, they enrich the multicultural fabric of British society through their distinct culture and heritage.
(population figures and history taken from “Islington Life” Islington Councils online magazine.)
At present, I am working on a couple of projects in the Gaeltacht region, including a statue of St. Caomhán of Inis Oirr and another of Manannán mac Lir, both standing around three metres high. On these projects I use techniques originally learned as a young man from my Irish mentors.
I am particularly passionate about the Gaeltacht region, cultural education, and the transmission of Irish intangible heritage found in Ireland and in Irish communities in London and world wide.