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ploughing 16
Ireland's top chainsaw craftsman gave us a masterclass in carving
He started us off with a “tiny fairy chair”.
PROFESSIONAL TREE CARVER John Hayes has some impressive creations to his name. From this giant apple in Greystones to the ‘Holy Tree’ in Fenor in Waterford, John’s been picking up plaudits for his handywork for years.
The master carver has been at the Ploughing Championships in Offaly this week to impart a few skills – and has been leaving a trail of sawdust in his wake as he churns out owls, rabbits and other woodland creations in front of crowds of onlookers.
“What can you teach us in about five minutes?” we asked – stressing that we’d hadn’t carved anything larger than a small chicken to date, and perhaps weren’t to be trusted with a chainsaw of any size.
John started us off with a “tiny fairy chair”… He promised to teach us something a little more complicated if we came back next year.
Video by Nicky Ryan
Warning: John’s a professional (obviously) and TheJournal.ie was provided with safety gear. Don’t try this at home.
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