COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLYHAUNIS - WESTERN PEOPLE (OCTOBER 7 EDITION)
Local basket maker Tom Delaney will appear on the popular RTÉ television show Nationwide this Friday, October 10. The programme will feature the Brickens man’s basket-making process.
“They came to the yard in Mayo Abbey and filmed it before the summer,” explained Tom.
Tom left a role as an archaeologist in London in recent years to continue a family tradition by setting up his own basket-weaving workshop in Mayo Abbey, as well as a website selling his wares under the Ould Crafty brand. He also teaches basket weaving with local willow.
Business is good, he says.
“Overall, everything is great, I’ve never been busier,” explained Tom. “The classes are full, and the website is constantly selling out of stock. The way the summer played out, I was always on the road. I did a lot of festivals, like Glastonbury, All Together Now, and Electric Picnic. So, it’s nice to be home in Mayo now for a while.”
His best-selling products are a traditional round shopping basket, as well as a bird feeder and an obelisk.
