History of Bogwood
The Celts once ruled one quarter of Europe. The branch of the Celts, the Milesians came to Ireland l,OOO years before the birth of Christ.

In the words of the poet -
“They came from a land beyond the sea and o’er the western main, set sail in their good ships gallantly from the sunny lands of Spain”.

Spain may have been a loose term and may have included a larger portion of Europe than the Spain that we know today.

Well wooded, the Country was as in the tales of the Fianna when they hunted wild animals through the forests. The banqueting hall of Tara and all the other buildings were made of wood because the Country abounded in timber; wood was made to answer every purpose. All or most Irish houses down to the period of the Danish invasion were constructed of Wood, Clay and Stone.

Our ancestors used Bog Fir and Bog Oak for the couples and ribs of their houses. By looking at the type of growth in Bogs they were able to find where the long tree trunks lay. The bark from the Bog Oak was used for making the attachments in beds under the chaff and straw mattresses. There are still to be found “Creepies” (Small stools made from Bog-wood and fireside chairs hewn from Bog Oak).

At a Bog about a mile from my home some years ago was found “A Fulach Fiadh” a wooden like trough which the Fianna used for cooking their meals - the trace of a fire and stones were found nearby. The method used was to heat the stones in the fire, put water in the “Fulach Fiadh”, throw in the hot stones, and then cook their meat after a days hunting.

Irish Bogwood can be up to 6,000 years old, in other words the pieces you see here were growing a few thousand years before Jesus walked this earth.

I am hoping to take a leaf from the book of my own Ancestors and show the beauty of the Bog Oak, Bog Fir and Bog Deal.

Business Development
Back in her beloved Bocan Mary began to source bogwood. Once the Bog Oak has been unearthed it is left to dry naturally and the long task of bringing the piece to life then begins. Each piece is sculpted, carefully sanded and then coated in beeswax to give it a natural sheen that needs no further polishing. Mary admits to doing this in her kitchen initially and then when she saw the prospect of turning her work into a business moved to a workshop. Friends, enthralled by her work, encouraged her to exhibit at a local craft fair. She did that, was frightened and nervous but overcame the fear and was highly excited. From there, Mary went on to exhibit in Derry, Dublin, Galway, Boston, New Jersey and other places. As the business developed Mary found it important to display her work in her own gallery beside her home.

Marketing
The craft fairs and exhibitions and her local displays have brought customers from all over Ireland and pieces of her work have gone to England, Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the United States. Jean Kennedy Smith has a piece and Mary was commissioned to do a sculpture of a dove for John Hume. Sculputres have also been purchased as awards and retirement gifts. Mary has done many other commissions and welcomes the challenge for each piece. People visit the gallery from all over the world and return to purchase gifts for friends and family.

Role Model
Mary's enthusiasm for her craft is infectious. She says "I love my work and am happy when I am working hard at a piece and I get great satisfaction when I have an end product". Mary is a perfect example that life can be enhanced with a new dimension by openly embracing opportunity.