One of Ireland’s last Traveller tinsmiths mourns lost way of life | AFP

[@ammulhare1644]

I would be good to hear a longer interview with this gentleman. If the President of Ireland were to be a Traveller, that would be a great omen for our country. The Travelling people are the heart of Ireland. I am from Irish farming & I recall the old wooden wagons the Travellers still used in the 1980s. What will Ireland look like in 2070 AD? Settled & Traveller people managed to co-exist on our own island for 100s of years & I pray that we will both have healthy & prosperous populations going into the future.

[@hakipod]

We are too quick to discard past skills and are dumbing down too much. My Grandfather was a tinsmith and worked in leather as well. He emigrated to New Zealand and was employed to make and fit artificial limbs for the returned servicemen following the First World War. I still have a few of his tools.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

My great grandfather was a tinsmith.

[@Nanny_Jooj]

Mine also. When he passed away, the local paper called him the Last Tinsmith in Monaghan.

[@josephbateman7742]

And now our precious plastic is a curse, bring back tinsmiths and coppers, at least a little, that's what I say.

[@kennymosireland7069]

This is how I new travelers growing up in Scotland.. we called them tinkers, Becouse they tinkered with things and made them into things. My mum would by dolly pegs from the women...who came to the door...

[@MaurineDelaney-b6b]

Morissette Well

[@RebeccaMosley-t6r]

Cale Mount

[@SharonSansbury-y1k]

Salvatore Corners

[@RichardWilliams-u5z]

Friesen Estate

[@Kjhd9987hy]

sadly, this is no different than needing flint knapping in 2022, its just an era technology has killed.

[@leeknivek]

I’m a tin smith ... started 8 years ago when I was 22. We mainly build ductwork, but we do things like this too.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

​@Kevin Keel that's awesome. My great grandfather was an Irish tinsmith. God bless you.

[@leeknivek]

@@redtobertshateshandles thanks - it's certainly much more modern, i probably couldn't do what your grandfather did, but it's about the closest thing we have now.

[@masonheipel]

obsidian is still sharper than a scalpel