Claregalway Blacksmith Forge and Museum

Picture: Claregalway Blacksmith Forge and Museum, Rooaunmore

The forge was restored in 2006 and contains all the typical equipment: open furnace, a massive leather bellows to stoke the flames, an anvil which is large and heavy with a long projecting snout on the side which the blacksmith used to hold the red-hot iron for shaping, and much more.

In the Museum thereis a carpenters section with a large variety of the carpenter’s old-style manual tools that belonged to Michael Skerritt, Cahergowan. Carpenters and blacksmiths were valued craftsmen in the local community and worked closely together.

There are various traditional farming equipment, such as mowing machines, ploughs, potato diggers and so on. Inside there are household items: traditional ‘crane’ to support hanging ovens for cooking over an open hearth fire Musical equipment from the old Claregalway Fife and Drum Band (founded in 1909) Many items for the area, old photographs and various documents donated by families in the area.