The Hourigan Family Collection

Dublin Core

Title

The Hourigan Family Collection

Description

The Hourigan family has a rich tradition of tinsmithing, a craft passed down through multiple generations. John Hourigan and his son, Danny Hourigan, were among the last practitioners of this trade in Cork. Their story reflects not only the craftsmanship that defined their work but also the resilience and spirit of the Traveller community. The family’s tinsmithing history is also linked to Bill O'Driscoll, John’s father-in-law, an iconic figure in the family’s legacy who passed on the skills to his son-in-law and later to his grandson, Danny.

In 2023, the Hourigan family partnered with the Cork Traveller Women’s Network (CTWN) and the Cork Public Museum to honour Danny, the last Traveller tinsmith in Cork. This collaboration facilitated the preservation and celebration of the family’s tinsmithing tradition, culminating in a display at the Toraig on the Tobar exhibition at the Cork Public Museum. For more on this collaboration, follow this link.

Scope and Content: The collection documents the Hourigan family’s tinsmithing tradition, offering a unique insight into the craft, the people, and the community behind it. The materials in the collection include:

  1. Films:
  • Traditional Tinsmithing Skills (Cork Folklore Project): A film from the Cork Folklore Project featuring John Hourigan making a traditional bucket in 1998, which has been restored and edited for presentation.
  • Danny Hourigan: A second film from the Hourigan family’s own collection showcasing Danny's talent as a craftsman and salesman.
Oral History Interview:
  • A recent oral history interview with Danny’s Wife Mary and his daughter Noreen, offering personal reflections on the tinsmithing trade and his family’s legacy.
Photographs:
  • 26 archival photographs capturing the Hourigan family’s tinsmithing heritage. These images, sourced from both the Hourigan family and the Cork Folklore Project, depict the tools, techniques, and processes associated with traditional tinsmithing, as well as portraits of family members.

Acknowledgements:

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Hourigan family for allowing us to include this collection.

Subject

Irish Travellers
Nomadic populations
Ireland — Social life and customs
Ireland — History — 20th century
Tinsmiths – Ireland
Tinsmithing – Ireland – History
Metalworking – Ireland
Craftsmanship – Ireland – Tinsmithing
Tinwork (Craft) – Ireland
Tinsmiths – Ireland – Biography

Folk art – Ireland
Traditional crafts – Ireland
Handicraft – Ireland
Folk art – Ireland – History
Cultural preservation – Ireland

Family life – Ireland
Family business – Ireland
Irish families – Cork
Cork (Ireland) – Social life and customs



Oral history – Irish Travellers – Ireland

Date

1970s-2020s

Source

The Hourigan Family
The Cork Folklore Project

Rights

See Individual Items for Rights and Usage

Type

Film
Photograph
Audio

Format

jpeg
mp4
wav

Creator

Cork Traveller Women's Network

Contributor

The Hourigan Family

Language

eng

Coverage

Ireland
Cork
20th Century
21st Century

Collection Items

John Hourigan in days gone by
An old black and white photograph of John Hourigan with a cup and coal shuttle

John Hourigan with some of his work
A colour photograph of John Hourigan outside in his garden with some of his work

A copper coal shuttle
A colour photograph of a ornate copper coal shuttle made by master tinsmith Danny Hourigan

Tinsmith's hands at work
A colour photograph, a close-up of tinsmith Danny Hourigan's hands and tools in the process of making a rim for a bucket

Tin Smith Danny Hourigan at his workstation
A colour photograph of Tinsmith Danny Hourigan sitting at his workstation outside his trailer near Macroom

Danny Hourigan Tinsmith with his work near Macroom
A black and white photograph of Tinsmith Danny Hourigan sitting outside his trailer near Macroom with an assortment of his work

Danny Hourigan with a wooden tool
A close-up black and white photograph of Tinsmith Danny Hourigan holding a wooden tool in his hand, outside his trailer near Macroom

Danny Hourigan Tinsmith
A black and white photograph of Tinsmith Danny Hourigan sitting outside with a bucket he made

An edited film of Danny Hourigan making a bucket on St Patrick's Day in Copeen, Co. Cork 2002

Noreen and Mary Hourigan with granddaughter
A colour photograph of Noreen and Mary Hourigan with granddaughter at the Toraig on the Tobar exhibit at the Cork Public Museum

Mary Hourigan
A colour photograph of Mary Hourigan holding a bouquet of flowers at the Toraig on the Tobar exhibit at the Cork Public Museum

Mary Hourigan with her beady pocket
A colour photograph of Mary Hourigan with a beady pocket she made. The picture was taken in the Toraig on the Tobar exhibit at the Cork Public Museum

Hourigan Sisters at Cork Public Museum
A colour photograph of two of Danny Horigan's daughters and his granddaughter holding a poster of Danny next to his display in the Toraig on the Tobar exhibit at the Cork Public Museum

Danny Hourigan's metalwork
A colour photograph of an assortment of Danny Hourigans metalwork

Bucket made from a Nissan Micra Car
A colour photograph of a white bucket made from a Nissan Micra Car by Danny Hourigan for his daughter Noreen. The keys to the car can be seen attached to the handle.

Tinsmith Danny - Poster
A poster telling the story of the Tinsmith Danny Hourigan. Produced by Cork Traveller Women's Network with the Hourigan Family

An edited film of John Hourigan making a bucket in his workshop. This film was recorded by Liam Hurley and Cathrine Fray for the Cork Folklore Project in 1998.

The finished product
A colour photograph of an assortment of John Hourigan's buckets, pans and jugs

John Hourigan measuring a piece of metal for the rim of a bucket
A colour photograph of John Hourigan measuring a piece of metal for the rim of a bucket

John Hourigan shaping the rim of a bucket
A colour photograph of John Hourigan shaping the rim of a bucket
View all 23 items