To mark the occasion of his visit to Drogheda to lead the
National Famine Commemoration Ceremony, Drogheda Borough Council commissioned
Terry O'Brien to produce a unique carving which the Mayor, Councillor Kevin
Callan, will present to An Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny.
The piece, produced
from local fallen wood, depicts a potato leaf, in recognition of the key role
played by potato blight during the Great Famine.
The piece was produced by Terry O'Brien, a local wood carver who runs his own business “Falling
Leaves from Fallen Trees”. Below is a biography on Terry O'Brien and his work, set out
in his own words.
I served my time as a carver with Hicks Cabinet Makers of Dublin. After
the closure of Hicks I opened my own studio in 1983 at Millmount Craft Centre
in Drogheda.
I work from my own workshop beside my home overlooking the River Boyne where I
now design and make a range of leaf-shaped cutting boards, cheese boards and
bowls. I design a contemporary range of lamps, tables and occasional
furniture. I source fallen trees locally, then plank, kiln dry, plane,
cut, sand and mould the timber into my various products, using my skills as a
carver to finish them to a high standard. The products are then finished
with natural oils making them waterproof and heat resistant and making them
suitable for food preparation and presentation. All these items are unique
and both functional and highly decorative.
This year I took part in Art in Action, Farmeigh House in the Phoenix Park. I’m
also going to take part in the Body & Soul Festival Ballinlough Castle,
Electric Picnic Stradbally, and the National RDS Craft Fair.
Recent commissions include a depiction of The Last
Supper which is in a convent in Co. Meath and the design and framing of the
Stations of The Cross for a local church in Irish ash completed within the last
month. My work can be viewed and purchased from terryobrienwoodcarver.com
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