Those of us who knew Ireland fifty years ago will remember the village blacksmith; brawny, grimy and often taciturn, there was one in every village. Yet in recent years this was a rural tradition in danger of becoming obsolete.
In former times a blacksmith not only shod your horses - then the primary source of transport - he also built and repaired iron hinges, latches, gates and fences, and even repaired carts and agricultural machinery. This simple approach was a far cry from today's high-tech farriers, who are more likely to roll-up in the latest 4x4 SUV, before putting on overalls to protect their designer gear, and are really just a part of Ireland's highly successful horseracing industry.