When I first arrived in West Cork over 30 years ago, I had a strong feeling that I’d come home. A year later, I found myself a bothy on the banks of the River Ilen opposite Hegarty’s Boatyard, the last surviving traditional wooden boatyard in Ireland, nestled within the walls of an old castle, which has been the home of boatbuilders for generations. There I bought a 23ft gaff rigged ketch built by Liam Hegarty, whose father had founded the boatyard.
Today Liam, with his brother, John, is still building boats exactly as his father built them. My boat, the Willing Lass, is based on a Falmouth Quay Punt and was built to deal with the unforgiving West Cork water, weather and rocks.
In buying her, I became an accepted presence in the yard, watching as they rebuild and refurbish iconic boats in traditional ways. Getting to know the boatbuilders has given me huge respect for their craft: they’ve become friends and, for me, they are part of the texture of the West Cork I love.
People and place are what gives an object its heart. Great craft – be it a boat, sculpture or chair – emanates from the soul of the maker, and that soul is nurtured by the place and the people that surround it; by the songs and the weather and the history. The fact that my boat was made by a family who’ve been building boats for generations, and that she was built for these very waters in a way that’s tried and tested – that’s what makes the Willing Lass the boat she is.
I love beautifully made, cleverly thought-out things. Today we are encouraged to buy objects that are designed not to last, which I think is a detriment both to the environment and to the way we regard and respect life.
West Cork is blessed with many craftspeople, hidden in its hills and valleys. When you find a place like Hegarty’s Boatyard, where vessels are being made with care and time, using the best components that can be sourced and the experience of generations– that has a value to me that makes my soul sing. This boat will outlast me, if I manage not to put her on the rocks.
Photo: John Hegarty working on a wooden vessel, an image from Hegarty’s Boatyard, a photographic essay by Kevin O’Farrell