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We visited Eamon Maguire -- master drum maker. June 17th, 1999; Belfast:
He's your basic Renaissance artisan. The paintings you see in the background are his. He's also commissioned to make sculptures and famous for his bodhran playing. Locals praise him as the leader of many Ceili Dances.
In the short hour we spent with him he finished a drum, made Kathleen a tipper (Irish drumstick) with a leather striker, jammed with us on the drum while Henry clogged, explained fossilized squid in the stones of Ireland, showed us his collection of Bog Wood sculptures (7,000 years old oak wood preserved in bogs) and gave us the low down on all the best sessions in Belfast and the rest of Ireland. Whew!
On each drum he hand paints in Gaelic writing the name of the person for whom it is made. He also paints chosen Celtic artwork on the drumhead. 18" drums go for £95, 16" drums go for £85. He can custom order them in other sizes as well.
Kathleen fell in love with the tipper Eamon was using and he said, sure I can make you one. The price we paid for it (£3.50) was well worth it just to watch him make it.
If you want to contact Eamon and maybe order something from him (he ships everywhere in the world) you can e-mail him. Or snail mail him at: 497 Antrim Road, Belfast, BT15 3BP, Northern Ireland. Phone/Fax: (02890) 772580.
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Kathleen had the pleasure and privilege of
meeting Eamon (say 'aim-on') when she lived in Belfast back in
'91/92. Her prized bodhran (Irish drum) is one of his.
Eamon's staple trade is his drums. They're
works of art by an artist who loves them. The shop was littered
with different styles of the hoops over which the skin is drawn.
Eamon takes care, like a great chef, with all his ingredients. He
kills the goats himself and cures the skin, leaving a small patch
of fur as part of his trademark.
