TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

Basket Making
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Bob Johnston,
    Bangor, County Down
Bob Johnston works for the Ulster
Folk and Transport Museum near
Belfast, where he was trained in
the art of willow-basket making
by his colleagues. Over the years,
he has done extensive research on
Irish basket making, particularly on
the wide variety of baskets used in
traditional occupations. Winner of a
United Kingdom National Training
Award, he regularly exhibits
his work throughout Europe.

Musical Instrument Making
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Bodhran Making
Eamon Maguire,
    Belfast, County Antrim
In addition to being a respected
maker of bodhrans—the round
frame drums widely used in
traditional Irish music—the
Belfast-based Maguire is also
known for his talents as a painter,
bog-oak carver, and dance
instructor. In his Ogham Gallery
and workshop on Belfast's Antrim
Road, he handcrafts all facets
of his bodhrans—from wooden
frames to goatskin drumheads
and decorative Celtic artwork.

Lambeg Drum Making
Darren Sterritt,
    Markethill, County Armagh
James Roland Sterritt,
    Markethill, County Armagh
Richard Sterritt,
    Markethill, County Armagh

Richard Sterritt and his family
come from the town of Markethill
in County Armagh, one of the
centers of Northern Ireland's
Lambeg drumming traditions.
Richard learned to make the
large, impressive instruments
from his father, who learned, in
turn, from his neighbors. Starting
from scratch with wood, rope, and
goatskins, Richard crafts the iconic
Northern Irish instrument in a
small workshop behind his home
and plays them with assistance
from his brother and nephew.

Uilleann/Irish Bagpipe Making
Robbie Hughes,
    Strangford, County Down
Hughes is a respected maker of the
uilleann, or Irish bagpipe, one of
the world's most complex musical
instruments. His firm, Hughes
and McLeod, was established in
1977. Today, in addition to pipes,
Hughes is also renowned for
researching and producing Clanrye
Pipe Chanter Reeds, the world's
first synthetic bagpipe reed, which
Hughes researched in collaboration
with scientists at Queens College.
info@bagpipers.co.uk

Textiles
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Dance Dress Maker/Embroiderer
Lorainne Mullin,
    Portadown, County Armagh
Designing and making ornate
dance costumes for Irish Feis and
Festival dancers is a specialized
skill. Seamstress and embroiderer
Lorainne Mullin outfits solo
dancers and dance troupes in the
Portadown area. Her work is in
great demand, especially as the
competition season approaches. She
adapts ideas from ancient sources
to produce striking new designs.

Hat Maker/Milliner
Maureen Paterson,
    Islandmagee, County Antrim
Hats are an important fashion
accessory throughout Britain and
Ireland, where hat stores and hathire
shops abound. Originally from
the Ards Peninsula on Northern
Ireland's east coast, Paterson
spent many years in Scotland and
studied to be a milliner in Glasgow
before returning to Islandmagee
to establish her home-based shop,
Hats by Maureen, which specializes
in couture hats and hairpieces.
www.hatsbymaureen.co.uk

Lace Making and Needlecrafts
Mabel Bogie, Saintfield,
    Ballyinagh, County Down
Mabel Bogie learned traditional
Irish textile techniques, such as
Mountmellick work, cut work,
drawnthread work, and fine white
embroidery on linen, while growing
up on a farm near Lough Erne in
County Fermanagh. Today, she
remains an active needleworker
and teaches her crafts to others
through classes at the Northern
Ireland Women's Institute.

Visual Arts

Claymation and Animation/The Nerve Centre
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Tomás Ó Maonaigh,
    County Londonderry
Gary Rosborough,
    County Londonderry

At Londonderry's celebrated Nerve
Centre, a community-based arts
center and "cultural factory" in the
heart of the old, walled city, Derry
natives Tomás Ó Maonaigh and
Gary Rosborough—animatorsin-
residence, filmmakers, and
educators—use Claymation,
modern technology, and stories
from Irish history to capture
young imaginations, teach
skills, and encourage intercommunity
communications.
www.nerve-centre.org.uk

Banner Painting
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William Magowan,
    Garvagh, County Londonderry
Elaborately painted banners and
smaller bannerettes are a hallmark
of British and Irish parades and
processions. Banner-painter
William McGowan began his career
lettering and painting advertising
images on shop signs and trucks
but was drawn to the complex,
iconic artwork found on traditional
banners. Today, in his home-based
shop, Brush Creations, he works
long hours to fill orders for his
sought-after banners, as well as
for the handsome images he paints
on the shells of Lambeg drums.

Muralists
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The tradition of mural painting in
Northern Ireland dates at least to
the nineteenth century. During The
Troubles, various groups turned to
murals to address political issues,
commemorate political activists, or
depict paramilitary groups. With
the return of peace, there has been
a movement to replace the more
divisive murals with new ones that
incorporate the best of the powerful
local mural tradition with a more
positive, inter-community vision
of Northern Ireland's past and
future. Two groups of muralists
are attending the Festival:

The Bogside Artists
Kevin Hasson,
    Derry, County Londonderry
Tom Kelly,
    Derry, County Londonderry
Will Kelly,
    Derry, County Londonderry

During The Troubles, the
Republican neighborhood of
Bogside in Londonderry became
an epicenter for mural painting.
Since 1993, muralists and brothers
Tom and Will Kelly and their
friend Kevin Hasson have
worked together as The Bogside
Artists, creating social art that is
"by the people, for the people."
www.bogsideartists.com

East Belfast Muralists
David "Dee" Craig, Belfast
Rachel Sinnamon, Belfast

During The Troubles, the
Protestant neighborhood of East
Belfast attracted international
attention for its murals. Artists,
muralists, and Belfast natives
Dee Craig and Rachel Sinnamon
are outstanding examples of the
many talented muralists involved
in the "re-imaging" of mural art
to reflect the changing political
landscape of Northern Ireland.