O'Connors Irish Crafts - Who are we?

 O'Connors Irish Crafts is based in what is known as 'Ireland's Hidden Heartlands'.

We are a husband and wife craft business set among the boglands of County Roscommon.

Irish Country Living - Our Home

O'Connors has a passion for wood, especially native wood from the area we live and work in.  We also have a passion for irish culture and traditional music, playing the Irish Bodhran Drum and Tin whistle - also known as the Penny whistle.

Irish Country life can have it's challenges  but also many benefits such as peace, quiet, wildlife and the local flora and fauna.  We love living among the beautiful creamy white coloured Meadowsweet that grows prolifically and tall in the local bogs.   Our lane is full of wild strawberries which makes going for a walk a very slow process!  

 Wildlife

We have red squirel and Pine Martin which have struggled to survive in many areas of Ireland and the UK.  Our wild bird population is thriving with regular visits in our garden of Chaffinch, Sparrow, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Jay, Siskin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Pheasant, hooded Crow, Starling, Wood Pidgeon and Collared Dove.

 

Irish Country Living - Male Bullfinch

Blackthorn Walking Stick / Shillelagh

Our Hedgerows are filled with Blackthorn which we use to make our Irish Blackthorn Walking Sticks and Blackthorn Bodhran Drum sticks or Bodhran Tippers.  The Blackthorn is an early flowering bush providing much need early nectar for pollinators and it also provides sloes which can be used for making sloe Gin.  Blackthorn wood is a very hard wood which is why it is used in Irish Blackthorn Walking Sticks.  Originally the Blackthorn walking stick was called a Shillelagh and was a little shorter and more stout.  This Shillelagh was known as the Irish Fighting Stick.  Due to Ireland being ruled by England at this time a law was passed to outlaw this native irish weapon.  To circumvent this law the Irish extended the Blackthorn Shillelagh and called it a Blackthorn Walking Stick.  Even though this tended to be a more refined stick it still carried weight due to the density of the wood and knob or long handle.

O'Connors Irish Blackthorn Walking Stick

 Irish Bodhran Drum Tipper

The properties of Blackthorn, it's durability and many thorns make it ideal for making Bodhran Tippers.  Hardwearing and with lots of interest and marks in the wood due to the base of the thorns and sometimes swirling patterns in the wood.  We also like to use other native woods for our Bodhran Tippers such as Ash, lacewood, Oak, Hazel, Birch, Beech and Yew.  We do like to throw in a few exotic woods such as mahogony and Indian Rosewood - Alittle spice never hurt anyone!

O'Connors Irish Blackthorn Bodhran Tipper

 Sustainability

We gather our Wood from our own fields and the local area where it grows wild.  We do not detroy whole shrubs or trees only taking what we need and planting new specimens for our own use and for the local wildlife.  In the last year we have planted many Hazel trees, Blackthorn, Walnut, Ash, Beech, Oak, Horse Chestnut, Crab Apple, Sycamore, Guelder Rose, and Willow.  We have dug a pond which is now full of mysterious creatures including Ireland's only native newt and frog species. 

Irish Country Living - New Wildlife Pond

 

Our exotic woods are bought from reputable suppliers and are all CITES certified.  (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

On buying a Blackthorn Walking Stick or Bodhran Drum Tipper you can be sure that they are made in the most environmentally friendly was possible.  Please check out our range of Irish Bodhran Drum Sticks here:  O'Connors Irish Bodhran Tippers

Please check out our Irish Blackthorn Walking Sticks here.   O'Connors Blackthorn Walking Sticks / Shillelagh