Longford Register of Traditional Skills Specialists

Have you ever wondered how things were made in olden times, but didn’t know who to ask? Do you know how to lay a hedgerow, thatch, weave, play a jig, dance a reel, make cheese or build a drystone wall and might be willing to share that knowledge with others? The Longford Heritage Forum in partnership with the Longford Heritage Office would like to hear from those who have a knowledge of any traditional skills, be it knitting a sock or building a dresser, and would be willing to share that information with the Heritage Forum and perhaps the wider public.

The Longford Heritage Forum through the Longford Heritage Plan 2004-2009 recognises the importance of the traditional skills that were traditionally central to life in Longford. In order to maintain and encourage participation in keeping these skills alive, the Longford Heritage Forum, through the Longford Heritage Office, is compiling the Longford Register of Traditional Skills. Anyone with a skill, either professional or as a hobby, in the fields of arts and crafts, buildings, agriculture, the environment and entertainment is invited to add their details to the Register. This would provide an ideal opportunity to share knowledge of our traditional skills and support those who still practice them.

Traditional skills include:

Arts & Crafts: artwork; basket-weaving; carving; crotchet; découpage; knitting; lace-making; papier maché; pottery; quilting; weaving; wood-turning etc.
Food production: traditional cheese; baked goods; jam; traditional butchery
Built heritage skills: cabinet-making; galvanised roofing; ironwork; lime plaster/ render; manufacture & repair of older joinery; masonry repairs using traditional materials; slate roofing; stonework; thatching.
Agriculture: smithing; farrier; use & maintenance of traditional machinery & vehicles; traditional farming methods; traditional ploughing (including the loy); traditional animal husbandry
Environment: hedgerow maintenance; care of animals; “heritage” seeds; plants & vegetables;
Entertainment: Playing, making/ restoration of traditional instruments; traditional, classical & popular music; dancing; singing
Sports & Games Traditional sports (e.g. hurling, Gaelic football, handball); traditional children’s games; activities played at traditional festivals such as Hallow’een, weddings etc.

Details will be made available on request through a database held on the Longford County Council website and in local libraries. This will be available to all for research and educational purposes. The privacy of individuals will be respected at all times; should you so wish, you may be included in the database, but your information will not be made available to the general public.

To join the Register, please fill out our online application form.