A DONEGAL man known for his metalwork creations made from used horseshoes has unveiled his latest piece – the Irish Harp.
William McCracken is a welder and fabricator from Ardagh, St Johnston who recently made headlines after completing a Covid-19 inspired Celtic Cross.
All of his work is made from used horseshoes. He says his inspiration comes from a desire not to waste materials.
With five 45 gallon drums full of material still sitting at the side of his shed it would appear that there are a few more creations to come before the end of this latest lockdown!
“I’m keeping my cards close to my chest on what I’ll make next but it will be something with an Irish theme,” he said.
The Irish Harp, which stands ten-foot tall, is made up of more than 500 horseshoes with 12 ml round bars used for the strings.
“It took me about a month to make and I’m getting it sand-blasted and galvanised over the weekend. Billy (William’s dad) did a bit of supervising while the young lad (Blake) did a bit of welding around the podium,” he said.
“I must admit I had to stand back and look at the Harp a few times. There was a bit of head scratching done as it’s a bit like building a jigsaw with no picture but it came together okay in the end.
“I drew my design out in chalk on the concrete floor in the shed first to give me an idea of its dimensions and took it from there,” he said.
His most recent sculpture, a nine foot foot tall Celtic Cross, has been attracting interest from potential buyers but nothing has been signed off on just yet.
Apart from the horseshoe art, William works with Fleming Engineering in Derry. He also runs a small business, Weathervane Deigns, where he makes ornamental weather vanes, bird feeders and farm signs.
“It helps to keep me busy. Sure I’m never in the house. I’ll need a house-keeper soon,” he laughed.
“I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback since the last story appeared in the paper. It helps to keep you going during these strange times,” he added.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)
Every Thursday
Every Monday
Posted: 5:00 pm February 22, 2021