A Forge
12th May 1938
Packie Connell in his forge in Belmullet.
1979, Belmullet, Co. Mayo
Photographer: Séamas Ó Catháin
Shine's Forge, Athea.
1936, Athea, Co. Limerick
Photographer: Caoimhín Ó Danachair
There is a forge near Balla in Co. Mayo. In that forge there is a large fire-place in which they build a fire of coal. There is also a bellows to blow up the fire, when they want to redden the iron. There is a large block in the centre of the forge, and an anvil left on top of it on which the blacksmith hammers out iron to the desired shape. They shoe horses and donkeys there. They also make scufflers, cart and car tyres, harrow- pins, gates, and spades and a lot of other articles. This is how they make these things, first they cut a piece of iron the required length off a large bar of iron, then the black-smith puts it in the fire, blows the bellows, gets a very large fire until the iron gets red. Next, he lifts it out with a large forge tongs and hammers it into the desired shape. Then he pierces holes through it and fastens lengths together with iron bolts. The black-smith hammers it with a sledge on the anvil.
It is very easy to work iron when it is red. There is something strange about a forge. People say that it isn't right for a woman to go into a forge. One night my father and another man were passing by the forge at a late hour. As they were passing by the forge door the bellows was blowing. There is a large round hole in the door of the forge, and they put their heads in and flashed two lamps. There was nobody to be seen. They then moved away and weren't far gone when there were two or three heavy blows of a sledge struck on the anvil. A blacksmith is supposed to have different power over a horse to any other man. If a horse has a bad temper and doesn't want to get his shoes put on, the blacksmith whispers something into his ear and the horse becomes very quiet.
“INFORMANT: Martin Corcoran, Age; 35, Prizon, Balla, Co. Mayo”