This year we joined forces with the fantastic annual Traditional Skills Festival and Glenravel International Furnace Festival, enjoying a great weekend at the first-ever 'Nordy Forgy' – Norn Iron!
Set in the picturesque County Antrim countryside, Tenth Glen Farm hosted a weekend dedicated to smelting, traditional crafts, and reconnecting with heritage skills. The Forged In Ireland team spent the weekend demonstrating forging and blacksmithing techniques while sharing knowledge and stories with visitors and fellow craftspeople.
At the heart of the weekend was the Glenravel International Furnace Festival, where locally mined hematite, along with bog ore, was smelted in traditional clay furnaces using techniques that date back thousands of years. Watching ore transformed into iron before our eyes was a powerful reminder of the ingenuity and skill of our ancestors.
The atmosphere was brilliant, despite a bit of rain - but rain never stopped a smelter or a smith!
The Forged In Ireland members had a great time demonstrating their craft and soaking up the fantastic community atmosphere. The event brought together blacksmiths, smelters, craftspeople and visitors from across Ireland and beyond, creating a welcoming and inspiring environment. Of course, there was also time to enjoy a few well-earned pints and share stories around the campfire in the evenings.
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