# Irish Cabinet Makers



## Teckel (3 Jun 2012)

Thought you people would like to see this video. It was a series that ran from the late 70s to the early 80s in Ireland. It shows trades from the silver smith to coach building. This is the episode on cabinet making.
Enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx2y7MAys20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NuIMTALZRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM3OT66iTOs


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## MickCheese (3 Jun 2012)

I have seen this before and just watched it again, really very interesting.

I do wonder what happened to the business? I did search on Google to see if it has survived but there is no info.

Mick


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## Teckel (3 Jun 2012)

I did that to Mick but could find nothing. I think the three lads have since left this life.
I will find out on another forum and see whatever came of the business.


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## Racers (3 Jun 2012)

Hi, Teckel

Enjoyed that very much, thanks for posting it.

Pete


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## SammyQ (3 Jun 2012)

I think these are the longer, complete, programmes?

http://www.youtube.com/user/HandsIrishC ... s/featured

Sam


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## Teckel (3 Jun 2012)

SammyQ":3bw4ordy said:


> I think these are the longer, complete, programmes?
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/user/HandsIrishC ... s/featured
> 
> Sam



Looks like the whole series Sammy but not the the longer version. Most are only half a minute long.


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## Carlow52 (3 Jun 2012)

All that is left now of that era is the music.


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## maltrout512 (4 Jun 2012)

Thanks for posting. I found it very interesting.

Many Thanks

Malcolm


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## Teckel (4 Jun 2012)

Carlow52":20m53jr5 said:


> All that is left now of that era is the music.



It has lost out to changing tastes and mass production.


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## devonwoody (4 Jun 2012)

Thanks for posting, enjoyed watching. Sadly that must be an age never to come back again because of the way of modern life.


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## Paul Chapman (4 Jun 2012)

Very interesting. However, I was amazed to see that impact adhesive was used to fix the decorative veneer to the chair :shock: Can't see that lasting.......

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Rob Platt (4 Jun 2012)

a nice way to finish off yesterday
and just watched the man building a sailing dinghy to start my day off
thank you 
all the best
rob


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## SammyQ (4 Jun 2012)

Drat!! They were there, whole and absorbing, half an hour long each, not that long ago. Sorry Folks.

Sam


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## Noel (4 Jun 2012)

Excellent. Wonder if the young cousin and apprentice Ignatius Foster is still about?


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## jimi43 (4 Jun 2012)

What a wonderful way to spend a few moments before I go to work.

I am optimistic that these values are and will not be lost...so long as we have the videos...which ironically are preserved because of the modern technology.

I know that I will be making a smaller version of that scroll saw...I want to have that sort of control...it is so simple and fit for purpose.

Loved the kids at the window...generations of fascination...now locked forever in computer game? I hope not.

Jim


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## newt (4 Jun 2012)

What I find interesting is that they work dressed with a jacket and tie, I think a lot of craftman wore this type of clothing, same jacket for church on Sunday, I wonder. Shame its all gone though.


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## Cheshirechappie (4 Jun 2012)

Carlow52":1psnx625 said:


> All that is left now of that era is the music.



Well, the furniture they made will be with us for a couple of centuries, at least!

It's a shame we didn't get the chance to hear more of their own words. It would have been interesting to hear their thoughts on their craft, and why they stuck with it. Come to that, how they managed to stick with it!

Very interesting way to pass a few moments - thanks for posting that, Teckel. I might well take a chufty at one or two more of those 'Hands' clips, too - there looks to be some interesting craft and social history, there.


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## devonwoody (5 Jun 2012)

Scroll saw, were the blades double edged, the craftsman seemed to back out still cutting without a 180 degree turn?


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## Teckel (5 Jun 2012)

devonwoody":1l0enz1m said:


> Scroll saw, were the blades double edged, the craftsman seemed to back out still cutting without a 180 degree turn?



I would think DW it is a cutting wire rather than a cutting blade but I stand to be corrected.


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## Teckel (5 Jun 2012)

Cheshirechappie":ty9uxgw4 said:


> Carlow52":ty9uxgw4 said:
> 
> 
> > All that is left now of that era is the music.
> ...



There are some very interesting episodes on different crafts. If you get the time you should have a look at them.


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## MickCheese (5 Jun 2012)

jimi43":1geg63d2 said:


> Loved the kids at the window...generations of fascination...
> 
> Jim



No chance of that now, everywhere needs bars, alarms and 3 metre high fences where the kids are chased off.

Or maybe I just live too close to London and have a cynical view?

Mick


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## Teckel (5 Jun 2012)

MickCheese":2808izkp said:


> jimi43":2808izkp said:
> 
> 
> > Loved the kids at the window...generations of fascination...
> ...



Hehehe
Ah Mick you can't tar them all with one brush...can you???


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## MIGNAL (5 Jun 2012)

Paul Chapman":3rieb6hy said:


> Very interesting. However, I was amazed to see that impact adhesive was used to fix the decorative veneer to the chair :shock: Can't see that lasting.......
> 
> Cheers :wink:
> 
> Paul



A little odd considering that they were using animal glue for everything else. PVA and Cascamite was available in the 70's, yet they chose to use animal glue for the construction but a much inferior glue for the decorative veneers.


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## devonwoody (5 Jun 2012)

Was it Evostick? or something else out of a tube perhaps like balsa glue etc.


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## thick_mike (5 Jun 2012)

I used to hate these dreary programmes when I was a kid...what was the one with jack Hargreaves (?) smoking a pipe?

Now, of course I can't get enough of them! What a gem.


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## Tom K (5 Jun 2012)

Could it be the auld fellers are alive and kicking? http://www.artperry.com/current/ireland.htm don't know how old these pages are though http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activitie ... raft/47790


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## MIGNAL (5 Jun 2012)

'Out of Town' and 'The old Country' were the Jack Hargreaves episodes that I remember - oh as well as 'How'!! Interesting guy.
Plenty of his old stuff on Utube.


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## Teckel (7 Jun 2012)

Just an update on the Robinson Bros. 
They died in the space of 2 years of each other and the last died about 2.5 years ago. The business is not going now. The young cousin Ignatius Foster moved to London some years ago and is still involved some way in the trade.
The person I spoke to spoke very highly of these bros. He said they were pure genius at anything they put their hands to. 
I was really hoping that they or even one of them was still alive. I would love to have chatted to them about their trade.

We really should embrace the likes of these people because it's their shoulders WE are standing on....

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamnacha


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## Paul Chapman (7 Jun 2012)

That's very sad - all that skill and knowledge gone  

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Tom K (8 Jun 2012)

A shame I suppose the illuminated crucifix finally went out.


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## Noel (8 Jun 2012)

Teckel":3msg7800 said:


> Just an update on the Robinson Bros.
> They died in the space of 2 years of each other and the last died about 2.5 years ago. The business is not going now. The young cousin Ignatius Foster moved to London some years ago and is still involved some way in the trade.
> The person I spoke to spoke very highly of these bros. He said they were pure genius at anything they put their hands to.
> I was really hoping that they or even one of them was still alive. I would love to have chatted to them about their trade.
> ...



Thanks for the update. 

Would be interesting to track down Ignatius, after watching the videos would be good to hear his story of the brother's business. Long time since I've been in that part of Cavan, hopefully the roads are bit better....


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## WilyWelshman (8 Jun 2012)

I can hear the theme tune to Out of Town in my head right now -

". . . and spring cleaning has a meaning . . ."

With a big grin on my face

Wily


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## Noel (8 Jun 2012)

From Tom's link earlier, Art Perry's picture of Michael and Tom-Joe:


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## Teckel (8 Jun 2012)

Noel":3r2k6mdn said:


> From Tom's link earlier, Art Perry's picture of Michael and Tom-Joe:



That is a fantastic picture. Well done Tom for finding it. 
How would one go about tracking down a number for Ignatius Foster. I wouldn't mind speaking to him about his time as a tradesman working under the Robinson's.


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## Noel (8 Jun 2012)

Back to Milltown would be the first move I suspect. He was in his early 20s at a guess in 77-80. Bound to be some family left there although as you can guess people often go off to GB and are never heard of again.


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## houtslager (9 Jun 2012)

and for those really interested in this and more - and have money to burn
http://shop.rte.ie/Product/Hands-Vol1--Irelands-Traditional-Crafts-2-DVD-SET/1582/2220.3


K


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## Teckel (10 Jun 2012)

houtslager":2624cnmr said:


> and for those really interested in this and more - and have money to burn
> http://shop.rte.ie/Product/Hands-Vol1--Irelands-Traditional-Crafts-2-DVD-SET/1582/2220.3
> 
> 
> K



And for those who want to go mad altogether.....

http://www.irelandstraditionalcrafts.com/order.html


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## houtslager (10 Jun 2012)

Damn it Teckel, :twisted: I found that link and lost it when my laptop crashed :evil:   

Wish the English had such a board, the Yanks have something similar, and the Germans for saving something of their crafts on film for future generations.

Karl


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## Teckel (10 Jun 2012)

houtslager":2qdp0erp said:


> Damn it Teckel, :twisted: I found that link and lost it when my laptop crashed :evil:
> 
> Karl



What were you doing driving a laptop??? :lol: :lol:


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## Cheshirechappie (10 Jun 2012)

Teckel":106m9qpu said:


> houtslager":106m9qpu said:
> 
> 
> > Damn it Teckel, :twisted: I found that link and lost it when my laptop crashed :evil:
> ...




Cheaper to run than a car, these days!


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## houtslager (10 Jun 2012)

you wish, bloody car needed in the last 4 weeks

new set glow plugs

2 new V belts

new [ revised] dynamo

new [ revised] starter

MOT due now, but I am not in country so will be late dunno how I will get in when I try to return if the Polizei are in the area.

But at least I am working on a really interesting project a 1907 sailing yacht, designed by J Pain Clark


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## marcros (10 Jun 2012)

lovely lines to that yacht


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## houtslager (14 Jun 2012)

And I hope the owner has deep pockets, oi vay ! it needs more the TLC to get it back up to spec.
Wonder if he'll go for traditional Gaff rig or stick with the Bermudian rig it has now ???????????

Karl


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## devonwoody (15 Jun 2012)

Made my eyes water looking at those plans, investigated the idea around 35 years ago, (built three small dingies single handed and that cured me of any more adventures).


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## Tom Small (30 Dec 2012)

Hello Everybody,

My name is Thomas Small. I am the only nephew of the Robinson Brothers. My mother, Bridie, was their sister. I live in Belturbet, County Cavan, just four miles from the workshop. 
Just to fill you in, all four of the family died within four years, between 2004 and 2008. I myself learned some of the skills of the craft from my uncles in their last number of years. I also have inherited their workshop, and while the place is in poor condition, all their tools and machinery are still there.
I would be delighted to share information with any of you who have an interest in my uncles' work. As has been said here, they were masters of many crafts, and I know that they loved to share their knowledge with all. My cousin sent me the link to this site tonight and I'm am delighted that so many of you are interested. Please don't hesitate to contact me through this forum.


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## Tom K (31 Dec 2012)

Hi Tom, odd you should post I had just been re-watching the Hands programme on You Tube. Are you making much use of the tools?


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## devonwoody (31 Dec 2012)

Tom it is very nice to learn of your membership to this forum and any input from you would be welcomed by me and I am sure others. 

So some upto date photographs I sure would be of interest and display of your own craftmanship also.


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## houtslager (31 Dec 2012)

Welcome to the nuthouse Tom, hope to see more of posts here.
I my humble opinion your also a lucky begger to have inherited such an accumulation of tools and materials if I read your post correctly.

Please, post some photos of your work and if possible the old workshop of your uncles if they're still standing.

All the best for 2013 and may you enjoy tonights festivities.


Karl


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## Webby (31 Dec 2012)

Nice find them videos ....and even better now a family has replied


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## wallace (31 Dec 2012)

Hello Tom and welcome to the forum. I watched your uncles films a couple of years ago and thought they were great. I too would love to see some pictures or vid of the old workshop
Mark


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## fergalb (31 Dec 2012)

Rob Platt":sq8cmixc said:


> a nice way to finish off yesterday
> and just watched the man building a sailing dinghy to start my day off
> thank you
> all the best
> rob



The guy that built the boat "Jimmy furey" made another program this year at the age of 85 where he took on an apprentice Cathy MacAleavey mother of Annalise Murphy Olympian to build one last boat, it was shown on RTE Nationwide the link is gone now  but the trade lives on


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## houtslager (19 May 2013)

just doing some research into getting my hands on the plans for the SOD, and I found this 


Death Notice
James also known as Jimmy Furey
January 18th
Location: 
Gurrane North, Oranmore

James also known as Jimmy Furey, Gurrane North, Oranmore. Reposing at Oranmore Funeral Home, tomorrow Tuesday from 5. Removal at 7 to adjacent church. Mass for Jimmy Furey on Wednesday at 11. Funeral afterwards to Renville cemetery. Family flowers only, by request. Donations if desired to Galway Hospice.

Another fine craftsman gone upstairs, to join many others of his ilk.

K


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## Eric The Viking (19 May 2013)

marcros":142zuex6 said:


> lovely lines to that yacht



My thoughts, exactly. And the mast is well forward, so she should point well, too.

E.


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## Eric The Viking (19 May 2013)

Tom Small":3u2jef19 said:


> Hello Everybody,
> 
> My name is Thomas Small. I am the only nephew of the Robinson Brothers. My mother, Bridie, was their sister. I live in Belturbet, County Cavan, just four miles from the workshop.
> Just to fill you in, all four of the family died within four years, between 2004 and 2008. I myself learned some of the skills of the craft from my uncles in their last number of years. I also have inherited their workshop, and while the place is in poor condition, all their tools and machinery are still there.
> I would be delighted to share information with any of you who have an interest in my uncles' work. As has been said here, they were masters of many crafts, and I know that they loved to share their knowledge with all. My cousin sent me the link to this site tonight and I'm am delighted that so many of you are interested. Please don't hesitate to contact me through this forum.



Welcome from me, too. I watched "Hands" a couple of years ago - your uncles were brilliant men.

It might be worth you asking the Shaw Smiths (who made 'Hands') if anyone still has the rushes from the programmes archived - either them or RTE. There are (or were) probably lots of interesting bits in the out-takes that would show a lot more of their skill. 

In my experience, the cutting ratio for something like that series would be around 6:1 in other words, for every minute that's in the final programme, six were shot. That doesn't mean all six minutes were of any value, obviously, but there may well be bits that would be. 

I visited RTE in the early 1980s as a guest of one of their presenters, and I know that their retention policy for radio wasn't all-embracing (they didn't cut-edit, and thus wiped and re-used tapes that we in the BBC would've kept, at least for a while), but film rushes were often kept anyway as it couldn't be re-used and bits might come in handy one day - library storage space/cost being the limiting factor.

On the sound and interviews: There's a picture on the Shaw Smiths' web site of Sally as recordist. Unless I'm much mistaken, she's got a Uher reel-to-reel (and a 4038 ribbon mic on a pole - never, ever seen that before!!). Pilot tone was necessary for sync sound, but there were hardly any pilot-tone Uhers around (although they were made), as Uhers weren't renown for speed stability - the pros used Nagras (or rarely Stellavoxes). I think her husband has an Aaton (nice!), or possibly an Arri camera - both normally crystal (so capable of sync), but the nub of it is that it's possible that as a team they couldn't do actual sync sound, only what's known as wildtrack. They might have recorded sound-only interviews to either be re-voiced in the commentary, or used as non-sync voiceovers, but these might not have been kept.

These are wild guesses, but it wasn't unusual for whole programmes to be made 'mute' (i.e. non-sync sound only) in the 1970s, because it kept production costs down. A careful film editor could make wild sound effects look like sync, but it was almost impossible to do that with speech. They're really simple final mixes too - three tracks I think, four at the most. This was pretty common too, as dubbing theatre equipment (and time) was very unusual and expensive. I didn't see the RTE film dubbing facilities when I visited, but I found some photos in their stills library, and their kit looks identical to ours in BBC Bristol at the time (they had slightly more than us, but Donnybrook was their posh new national HQ!).

Anyway, it's well worth you getting in touch to ask. For the cost of a stamp, etc...

E.


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## Gailio68 (30 Mar 2020)

Hi my Dad knew Charlie and would be keen to see a picture of the divine mercy. He has a picture of a cabinet that Charlie made years ago.
Thank you
Gail


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## Nollaig (11 Nov 2021)

Tom Small said:


> Hello Everybody,
> 
> My name is Thomas Small. I am the only nephew of the Robinson Brothers. My mother, Bridie, was their sister. I live in Belturbet, County Cavan, just four miles from the workshop.
> Just to fill you in, all four of the family died within four years, between 2004 and 2008. I myself learned some of the skills of the craft from my uncles in their last number of years. I also have inherited their workshop, and while the place is in poor condition, all their tools and machinery are still there.
> I would be delighted to share information with any of you who have an interest in my uncles' work. As has been said here, they were masters of many crafts, and I know that they loved to share their knowledge with all. My cousin sent me the link to this site tonight and I'm am delighted that so many of you are interested. Please don't hesitate to contact me through this forum.


Hello Thomas ,
I had the pleasure of spending an evening with your uncles many years ago in their workshop . My brother was restoring a farm cart and invited me along when he went for some advise ,which was readily given . I have often thought back to that evening and the wonderful smell in the workshop as well as the clocks on the wall and a water damaged table your uncles were repairing .
So sad to learn that they have all passed away . 
However it sounds like they passed some of their skills to you .
Good luck 
Noel


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