Tom Roche - Tinsmith

Trades & Crafts of Maiden Street, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
Filmed in 1978
Photographer - Mike Mulcahy
Filmed by John Lynch
Project organised by Sean Kelly

[@Ian...]

Ignore the negative comments and the thumbs down, this man was a craftsman in his time. I worked in the aircraft industry all my life and knew many tinsmiths , it was always regarded as a specialist trade and we would not have survived two world wars without them, aircraft would not have evolved to what they are today. I would have loved to have met this man and talked about his craft. Today this skill is sadly not required any more, plastics and composites have replaced this trade, that's progress...sad but we progress.

[@snoopyshultz]

It is, the sheet metal workers international are still alive and well and still knocking that tin in USA and Canada .

[@Ian...]

@@snoopyshultz Good to hear that Snoopy.

[@kellypenrod2979]

It is a pure pleasure to see a true craftsman at work! God bless them all!

[@meggy_weggy4039]

Wow, to know that this is my great Grandfather Roche. I never met him but watching this video now, I know that he was a bloody good tinsmith. I wish I got to meet my Grandfather Roche. And thank you to the people who posted nice comments 💖💗

[@edwardcharles9764]

meggy _weggy it's surprising that we remember our fathers and our grandfathers but never our great grand fathers. The third generation is always lost. If we could go back 7 generations, we could discuss matters with a relation from the Great Plague!

[@hasdrubal121]

meggy_weggy you and your family should be rightly proud. A nice little film, it would have been nice to have heard him speak on it or to hear him work with the tools. I really enjoyed watching it.

[@franciestokes7121]

He was a shite💩💩

[@WootTootZoot]

What the devil are you on about ? No one in the family here knows who you are, get on with yourself now.

[@lenhowl]

You are so lucky to have this video. A true craftsman.

[@johnoakley3068]

It's great to see what a tinsmith actually did, Both my Grandfather and Great Grandfather were tinsmiths and a video like this makes you appreciate the work they did, thank you for posting this video.

[@jon8xty1]

I could watch this all day. There is something magical about a skilled craftsman using his hands to make something.

[@freelyfarmexploits8854]

I was a coppersmith in the dockyard, I can relate to this craftsmanship, sadly these are days long gone, modern rubbish is just that, rubbish. This was a craftsman, hand made with years of skills. I would gladly swap todays rubbish to go back to the craftsman days.

[@chriswaters926]

As a professional blacksmith for 20 years now I can sure appreciate the craftsmanship. These skills are not gone but do require the public to at least occasional support such works. Though they may seem expensive you will never regret purchasing locally made items.

[@noelfleming3567]

I have a handmade tongs made by a blacksmith in d 1920s I still use it

[@ducomaritiem7160]

Thanks for posting, I had a family member who was a coppersmith. I've been a armourer for a while, and so can appreciate good craftsmanship.

[@fibersoft0]

i really love handmade things like this lantern. mostly handmade things are not quit finished or equal from all sides but actually that is the beauty of handmade products. great job.

[@andrewallen9993]

I used Tomlin a Maserati made like that, an absolute nightmare to work on as no parts were available and you had to make all the bits you needed yourself or out of a part for another car. Who on earth mills crankshafts from billets anymore?

[@GarysBBQSupplies]

Such a craftsman! Thank you Tom. And thank you to the people that took the time to help preserve this craft for others to follow.

[@andrewreynolds2647]

Brilliant work what a fantastic video watching this craftsman at work. I loved watching this what a clever and highly skilled man.

[@YOURFISHINGCHANNEL]

what a lovely little film of a great trade. thanks.

[@Ogma3bandcamp]

He does well to concentrate with that fella playing the whistle outside his window every day.

[@rattusnorvegicus4380]

Happy New Year to you too.Been reading Canterbury Tales by any chance?

[@richardmessenger9474]

As my old grandad used to say " you'll have some buggers eye out with that whistle"..😂😂😂

[@alanroberts4060]

haha ;D

[@spiralminus]

This was before the workshop radio; he's just keeping it old school.

[@basiliskaseridis999]

Rattus Norvegic

[@jimwilliams1536]

Ive spent my life collecting skills like those. Really good video. Especially liked the brief look at the soldering. Skills like those made a house a home.

[@jewelvibebabo]

Just great to see a few of the Irish have not been forgotten.Many thanks for sharing

[@barrysimmons5489]

What a beautiful piece of work. Aren't too many Craftsman like that left anymore.

[@cordialcortex3841]

Whoa! That was an Honour Thank You

[@m.a.c.8366]

true craftsmanship there. great video, thanks for insight into his artistry in action.

[@seemarajderkar3019]

Tom Roche Sir,you nade a wonderful lamp in no time !!! Loved watching the process and your dedicated work !!!

[@lenhowl]

A true craftsman, well done sir.

[@danhillman4523]

Love the video. So nice to see this level of craftsmanship done in the old style. Thanks so much!

[@jackmorgan3498]

Respect!...I work in a metal fab shop and I am saving this post for instructions.

[@loveyrocks]

I love Tom Roche. God bless him with lots of happiness.

[@UnderGr0undErnie]

No Electric powered machines here, just pure craftsmanship, lovely.

[@bjr2379]

No electric machines? Hell, it looks like there's no electric period! When was this filmed, 1790?

[@alanpartridge2140]

@@bjr2379 I'd guess 1980s Ireland so not much different from the 1790s ;)

[@kennethjanczak4900]

Fantastic to see some real craftmanship.. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@gordonrobbins5843]

A true artist with metal. I truly Respect him. Godbless bless you. Thank you for the uploading of this video.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😇😇😇

[@samuesoeilyoriy6581]

super work skills now lost ,i my trip through life i alwalys found these men with hard working hands more honest that a man with clean hands

[@paulsawczyc5019]

Honest? I bet he uses a led flashlight.

[@snoopyshultz]

not lost just forgotten. the sheet metal workers international are still alive and well and still knocking that tin in USA and Canada .

[@cassbarker1966]

Aaaaawwwww I’d LOVE one of these 😍

[@michaelpage7691]

Now that's old school techniques...loved watching it....I feel for him, because age does catch up and it makes things harder to do. Thanks for this as I love watching the old ways of producing items that will last for generations to come. 😁👍🏻🇦🇺

[@justinwolf4614]

The world nowadays has far to few quality people left like this old man.

[@bristol8920]

I have two copper navigation lights very similar design which was from a 1939 Scottish Trawler, great video to see how they were made ..thanks for posting.......... and the fools complaining about the Flute, mute your sound then watch a craftsman at work......

[@manonamountain]

Humour is lost on the fool.

[@P61guy61]

Superb video. Thank you for posting.

[@Sparky-ov1ot]

Excellent, a man worth his salt.

[@get-the-lead-out.4593]

Thanks for uploading! These people actually have skills to make things...really nice watching how a genuine worker hand-crafts things versus modern machines/presses that someone just shoves a piece of metal into them, pushes a button, and done. Before long the industries won't have any laborers who actually make the products but will just be all robots and machines with only a skeleton crew to do maintenance on them...heck, already have that in many factories today

[@alanpartridge2140]

It's been going that way for centuries, it's nothing new.

[@craigmarr7986]

@@alanpartridge2140 If you only knew the truth, you would eat those words.

[@thornwarbler]

what an absolute gem.................Thanks

[@undercovercameras]

i'm afraid they don't make em like your grandad anymore you deserve to be proud of him

[@MrStingraybernard]

An example of a real tradesmen, who had pride in the build

[@aubreyaub]

Bloody good to hear it being soldered, and not sodded.

[@marcoconnor3461]

Just love the way Toms hammer caresses the copper...great wee poem at the end. Thanks for the view.

[@NickRatnieks]

An ancient lantern was found buried in the stables of my great grandfather's house- he was a corn chandler. It is bigger and the glass is like a lens- like very old circular bottle bottom glass . The whole lantern is decorated by piercings- almost like perforations made with different sized nails, I imagine. Sadly, the cone has disintegrated at the top but I assume it once had a big circular ring so it could be hung up or carried about- checking the premises- and I hope not burning the place down! Well, the old house is still there. I need a man with Tom's skills to remake that cone- and I may know just the fellow- but he's busy making and mending guitars- although he can make anything, be it wood or metal. He once had a big old Ford V8 Pilot car and he made the whole exhaust system for that! I am in complete awe of these folk that have all these skills- they are getting mighty rare now, I am afraid.

[@gavinhill4121]

Great piece of footage. Enjoyed watching this old fella doing his thing. Wish we had these craftsmen around the corner nowadays.

[@imxploring]

True old school craftsmanship! Thank you for posting such wonderful content of a time gone by!

[@SAMUK1424]

MY LORD..... NO GLOVERS, TRUE CRAFTMAN. OLD IS PURE GOLD. VERY NICE

[@ananda_miaoyin]

Real skill. +1 for the Longfellow at the end.

[@junky5422]

a thing of beauty, thanks for the upload.

[@Banchoking]

This is incredible to watch. Thanks for posting this!

[@smuk386]

Amazing craftmanship.!

[@carl6073]

Amazing job... this is a quality handmade Master piece It was the norm back in a day, no crappy things made in china we have today Ty for sharing

[@noelfleming3567]

True every house in d country has some kind of plastic rubbish imported from China just as well its cheap they don't last

[@EvoKeremidarov]

i wasnt even born when this video was made and yet i wish i could be there watching this an work.

[@krromas1966]

thank you for the education have always been fascinated by copper in Cincinnati I do a lot with old soup cans has made oil lamps out of a half gallon chicken stock can the king is laying on its side it is a hanger you can I set it down on the table unless you fold the handle back as a tripod. thank you again for the Old World teaching

[@georgejohnson1124]

A true craftsman, a pleasure to watch.......................

[@johnthompson3462]

Fantastic.That guy would make a fortune these days doing retro pieces. A true craftsman

[@twickersruss]

The tin whistle playing eventually stops and a lovely poem is also remembered at the end. Its a actually 3 pieces of cultural history.

[@laurensouthgate2458]

Amazing to wartch and beautiful to look at I would rather have this than something manufactured.

[@harrykuheim6107]

But will you "Pay the Price"? I make stuff all the time like this...but why should I or anyone else spend 12 hrs working on something like this that won't sell? Let's see 12 hrs x $ 25/hr (and that's Cheap) minus copper that's very expensive thanks to Liberals shutting down all Mining, plus 3 pieces of custom cut glass , buy those rolling Machines and hand tools, and Rent or own a Shop, Keep Records, and Pay Taxes = $300.00 vs a Coleman battery Camp light that is 20 times brighter and costs $25....Didn't think so.

[@paulsawczyc5019]

Not me - I like my led flashlight - no smoke and much brighter.

[@howardchambers3163]

I make things out of Copper and wood but if I charged the true price of my time, no one would pay the price of a weeks work plus materials. So I gift pieces.

[@-Pol-]

​@@paulsawczyc5019 - Brightness isn't everything. I hate my LED flashlight with its soulless cold blue light. Too bright; it suppresses my own night vision and dazzles everyone else. My tube lantern was a revelation; brightness just right and It even puts some heat in a tent.

[@alanpartridge2140]

@@harrykuheim6107 Copper worldwide is expensive due to the demand from China it's fuck all to do with "liberals"

[@vanillagoose4444]

Wow such talent with so little tools ! these trades are almost gone now shame that

[@keithdouglas4581]

He would have got on a lot better if he'd have had proper tinsmiths hammers instead of using carpenters hammers,but he did well with what little he had

[@vanillagoose4444]

keith douglas I watch a lot of craftsmen and a lot use tools that may not seem quite right ! like a coach builder panel beating with a claw hammer 😂 but sometimes something just feels right ! Im an engineer myself and some of my most used tools are ones i crafted myself ! Just thinking there, that cine camera that was used to film this was probably the most light he ever had in that workshop 😳 a lot of talent there for sure 👍🏻

[@expatconn7242]

Nice to get an original of that mans beautiful work .

[@kennywoods8713]

Love watching craftsmen at work, we alll hate plastic now! We need to back to the old non disposables age.

[@harrykuheim6107]

You're Dreaming...Liberals have shut down Mining to "Save the Earth"...or do you not know where or how Copper is created?

[@thebigdawg61]

Craftsman? That thing looked like something created by the local special ed class.

[@tompollard6643]

@@thebigdawg61 Tell me, what do you make with your hands and can I view any videos on You Tube?. Bet the answer is Nothing. That man made a lamp to order, these lamps were standard here in Ireland in the days before electricity in our homes, Ireland only got countrywide electricity in the 1950's. What this man created from meagre materials and basic tools is actually a great achievement and to compare his honest days work to people in special ed classes just tells me that you see yourself as a perfect specimen, a fully rounded human and mist probably an angry, friendless, talentless cunt. Suppose all the lamps and light fittings in your home are from designer outlets because you are so fantastic. Cunt.

[@generalralph6291]

Plastics are great; no need to go back to tin and copper.

[@robertkat]

If you want to see real craftmanship watch videos how musical instruments, organs were made in 17 th century

[@1163baldy]

Wonderful old Artisan.

[@cmennenger]

Loved watching. This was when God's people used their hands to make things of value.

[@matthewsummers1697]

Absolutely amazing. Brilliant work. I freaked a little at 9:03 when I saw extra hands. I was like, "Holy Sh#t, this explains why this guy is so bad ass, four hands!".

[@bbcisrubbish]

I love watching such super craftsmen at work.

[@DougCanney1]

Beautiful workmanship! I worked with metal/flashing for many years, I can put metal around a basketball and no water would get in. But I’m not on this guys level. Truly a dying art form.

[@CHRITRAC]

Gotta keep them balls dry!!

[@clintonscott9623]

Awesome craftsmanship......

[@stevemcilroy9518]

How the feck Tom can concentrate with that fecking whistle blower I don't know. Proper workmanship right there, Great vid.

[@atest-ingpazin8602]

Beautiffull video. My late oncle was a tinsmith too. As I watching this video I remembar all this tools and machines from my oncle's shop. I hope they both are in tinsmith paradise working together and making nice tin stuffs.

[@29ginad]

.

[@batacumbelecintron4368]

Thank you for this great video!

[@michaelmclaughlin8474]

When men were men, the good old days,, when everything was handmade quality, perfection, integrity...!!!😎

[@indiana146]

I love programs like this

[@sbjennings99]

Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls

[@RatzoMcFatso]

My grandfather used to make these as a hobby.

[@Wettonbunker]

Wonderful

[@tim7527]

Sure wish I could have apprenticed under him ! Thanks for posting....

[@stephanswart78]

Beautiful to see an art of bygone performed.

[@gazza116]

lost art, did work like this in sheet metal class in the sixties at shepparton north technical school australia under the instruction of bill bodsworth.

[@victorcastle1840]

Same in USA in the sixty's it was the 2nd half of shop class. Even a little in 7th and 8th grade shop under the late John Powers, who also gave half of the boys nick names that stuck through their life...

[@peternicholson233]

G'day Gaz. I learnt the same in the 70's from Bob Anderson at Eastern Hills High outside of Perth. Boys did metalwork, girls did sewing. Boys were allowed to learn cooking- no girls in woodwork or metalwork. Prevo saw the boys stripping an old Datsun Cedric, hot rodding, then caning shit out of it the surrounding bush. Good times. I love watching shows like this. Proper skills from real people.

[@thetruthrover]

The whistle is a nice touch.

[@pensans1]

A wonder of the world.

[@lionbear7706]

a fine job indeed ! excellent video, Thank you

[@christdiedforoursins8985]

Lovely.

[@cryipticcreep5586]

For the tools of the day...well done sir

[@apexalpha4947]

Extremely Satisfying to Watch Sir Roche Make this Lantern ! And Nice Poetry reading at the End.

[@LegendofLaw]

Definitely a man that knows what he is doing. I can't cut any sheet metal without getting sliced up.

[@franks.2544]

Tom is a very patient man. I'd have thrown that flute player out of my shop from the start.

[@SSmith-fm9kg]

Wow...Old School. I watched with admiration and respect. I wish Hi Def had been available at the time, for a clearer recording of the process.

[@ateleskier7066]

This was wonderful. Sadly, I can't help but wonder if in the decades that followed some property developer bought the cottage and just smashed everything up and sold the tools for scrap. The happier news is that now, in 2018, there seems to be a growing resurgence in interest in old crafts. I'm noticing people are starting to seek out some of these old tools and, where they come across ones they don't recognise, are researching them. In the UK at least, crafting, making and repairing seems to be a growing fashion. In Europe there's even a growing movement pursuing 'the right to repair', to persuade governments to force manufacturers to use more metal and less plastic, and make the things we buy more repairable at home as they were when I was a boy. But, crafts like this will never return as they were. The best we can do, as has been done here with the posting of this, is honour and respect the craftsmen and try to keep their memory alive through replication. If you look online, copper working and tinsmithing is becoming popular again, albeit by a minority. Posting films like this helps with that, so thank you.

[@undercovercameras]

I was just passing by again hope you don't mind Its seems like ages a go when I was hear last its nearly 6 months ago look I enjoy your work so much

[@wesmatron]

He comes from a time when common man was self sufficient. Before we were dumbed-down so much we have to rely on corporations, industry and the state

[@atomatom6442]

True Olde School Style !!! Like the Renaissance Sounding Loop Music

[@KBTG]

Very interesting and then some! KB

[@tropifiori]

When I was a boy, the tinsmith would come through the neighbor with his cart ringing a bell. The ladies would bring out pots for mending and knives for sharpening. I was fascinated being only 5 or 6 years old. Bless the tradesmen and support them when you can. Frank

[@thomasschulze5167]

Love this!!

[@glennschaub6303]

A true craftsman

[@paulthomas8262]

Travellers used to do this work, fixing buckets, etc and cobbling.

[@-Pol-]

It's the origin of the term Tinkers which came to be used as a pejorative, originally for the Irish travelling folk. When researching my ow family tree I found a few generations listing their occupation as "Master Whitesmith". I'd heard of a blacksmith but not a whitesmith; it's actually another term for someone who works with tin.

[@paulthomas8262]

@@-Pol- it is a possible origin of the term and may have been used first in Scotland for highland travellers. It is cerca 13th century. It may actually be that Scots is a continuation of Northumbrian English, so kind of preserves old/middle English as does Gordie. Pyker is also a term for pick pocket or thief or robber not originally just for Irish Travers and that is where the derogatory term Pikey comes from. Travailing merchants, and various travelling groups, criminal gangs were seen as basically the same and treated with suspicion. The word Thug comes from Thugee, which were an Indian caste of travelling of robber, with their own language, and religious devotion who would join a convoy gain their trust then murder them during the night robbing them of their possession.

[@chasevans7171]

The only time you'll see a traveller with some copper these days they'll be weighing it in for scrap....

[@-Pol-]

@@paulthomas8262 ah, that's interesting. As I understand it the lowland Scots weren't historically speakers of gaelic as the Highlanders were.

[@paulthomas8262]

@@-Pol- Yes Scots is an Eastern language. As the Kingdom of Northumbria was mostly on the East Side. The Gaels settled in the west. It is pretty true today, through cities tend to dominate with any language. Just like in Ireland, The 1950s defined Irish speaking regions aren't where the majority of speaker are. The majority are in Dublin, simply down to population distribution.

[@Mom_sBasement]

It's amazing that he still has all his fingers.

[@zmxl1020]

A fabulous craftsman!

[@joerobinson4453]

Well I'm impressed

[@soneyliston7902]

I would buy that, first Irish Rocket..... great craftsmanship

[@kevinstreet5709]

Brilliant, this is sustainability, while our oceans are chocked with plastic,we are losing craftsmen to factory workers

[@alanpartridge2140]

And the ground around this man's workshop is contaminated with lead, cadmium and copper, the oceans are chocked with plastic because people in the turd world think the sea in a bin that magically gets rid of their rubbish

[@kevinstreet5709]

@@alanpartridge2140 l shouldn't think this man wastes and discards copper or lead , and his work is repairable and can't think why he would be using cadmium?

[@alanpartridge2140]

@@kevinstreet5709 The dust and fillings would blow away around the workshop and outdoor, cad was sometimes put in solders and some older antiques are plated with it. Still used in some platings today

[@alanpartridge2140]

@@kevinstreet5709 Plastics are also repairable

[@patmorris9692]

Pollution is everywhere.

[@robertdeal410]

Very nice

[@Parmesana]

My Great Great Grandfather was a tinner in Bohemia.

[@willienolegs8928]

Not well rewarded...true artist doing outstanding work. Thanks for the posting.