Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SPRING 2013

BRENDAN
COLLUM BOG
OAK SCULPTOR
speaks with Thomas Lyons
The wood itself is
extremely hard. It has to
be dried for a few years
before it can be worked
on. Like wine you have
to mature the wood,
otherwise it will crack.
Brendan Collum Bog Oak Sculptor
speaks with Thomas Lyons
The artistic works of Brendan Collum
are so popular that they have been
brought all over the world and grace
the homes of many famous names.
Thousands of years in the making his
pieces represent a link between the
artistry of the earth and the guiding hand
of the craftsman who creates them.
Using fire, water and wood Brendan
creates unique pieces of art that are
much sought after. Over the last three
decades Brendan has developed his
art and his business: “I am over 30
years working with Bog Oak. When I
first started it was mostly souvenirs.
Items with Irish emblems like harps,
Celtic crosses and shamrocks. I
started turning different woods at
first and the items that were the most
popular were those done in Bog Oak.”
Brendan’s passion for his craft is
evident when he speaks about what
he does: “I was fascinated with wood
turning right from the start. When I
started turning pieces of Bog Oak,
which is readily available around my
area, I was selling it to craft shops.
As things progressed I realised that
people wanted more artistic pieces.”
The self-taught artist has been
experimenting and researching with
Bog Oak over the years: “It is difficult
to work with. The wood itself is
extremely hard. It has to be dried for
a few years before it can be worked
on. Like wine you have to mature the
wood, otherwise it will crack. It is
hard on tools and it is hard to work
on, but it takes a lovely finish.”
Over the years his eye for design and
the process has changed and developed.
Brendan has a great love for the
artistic sculpture of the natural roots
that suggest the shape of the piece.
“It is a pleasure to work on it. I really
enjoy it,” Brendan explained. “There
is a mystery as to what shapes will
emerge as I work on the wood, I can
get a root and it will be covered clay
and fibres before I start. I work with
fire and water as well as the wood.
Sometimes I would get a big twisted
root and initially it would be very
unsightly, I would go over it with a gas
torch and burn off the dead material,
then I would power wash it and the
shape would begin to emerge from it.
I help the shape along”
The quality of the Drumlish craftsman
is such that his work has been presented
to many famous names down through
the years. Mary McAleese, John Hume,
Alex Ferguson and countless sports
personalities and community activists
have been awarded his work.
If you would like to know more about
Brendan’s work visit his website at
www.bogoakart.ie. M
Unearthing a
local textile
tale from the
Famine era
by Mary O’Connor, Edenderry
Local cultural traditions, particularly those unique to the
Midland’s are easily lost in an age of modernity and new
technology and through the Midlands Arts and Culture
Magazine we are delighted to provide a platform to
safeguard their stories.
The stitch known as the Offaly Famine
Stitch (pictures) was taught to my late
mother by the late Mrs Nan O’Sullivan
of JKL Street, Edenderry. She was well
known being the sister of the onetime
parish priest of Edenderry, Fr John
Killian who hailed from Rhode, where
their parents were primary school
teachers.
My mother met Nan when both were
patients in the local Cottage Hospital
around 1956. Mrs O’Sullivan was
also known as an accomplished pianist
and gave music lessons in her home.
ORIGINATION
This stitch originated in an Ireland
reeling from the effects of the
Famine. In this predominantly
agrarian post-Famine society, the
agricultural community, particularly
farmers wives were motivated by
thrift and the “waste-not-want-not”
motto was practised with great
regularity in everyday life.
The women used worn hessian sacks,
which were manufactured locally in
Clara and were used by the farmers
to hold produce, such as potatoes
and vegetables oftentimes loaded on
to their pony and carts to sell to the
local grocer or were bartered for
sacks of flour, tea and sugar.
The women also used remnants of
wool which were left over from hand
knitting jumpers and socks and caps
for their families.
They cut the sacks into suitable
shapes and made cushion covers,
table centres and covers for the
cradle and decorated them using the
coloured wool remnants. The bright
colours were attractive addition in the
white-washed kitchen and the
cushion covers in particular were a
welcome addition to the hard seat of
the settle bed and the hand carved
wooden chairs. M
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