The Blacksmith

Con McGuinness visited the school to tell us about his work as a blacksmith.

At one time there were three forges in Bodyke. There were two to six forges in every parish.

The blacksmiths used to make horse-shoes and also gates and railings in the forge.

Blacksmiths who shoe horses are also called farriers.

Everybody had a horse fifty years ago even people living in the towns, and many people kept two horses. Horses were used to draw the turf, to go to Mass, to go to market, to cut the hay.

A horse's hoof is very hard. In the wild, horses had no farriers. They would wear down their hooves on hard ground. The hooves grow and need to be pared by the farrier two or three time a year. They do not wear down when horses are domesticated. The hooves need shoes when the horses walk on roads. The shoes are made of steel.

Hot iron is soft when it is heated. It can be folded over and beaten with a hammer to shape it.

The pike was used as a weapon. There are similar implements found commonly throughout northern Europe . The pike was in use in Ireland through the 1700's, until firearms became available early in the 1800's.

D'éag Con i Meitheamh 2006.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.