Michael Quirke

gubby

I recently spent a few lovely days in sligo (from Cork) and I was totally blown away by this guy Michael Quirke, Wine street. Carver of myth and legend. I could have stayed listening to him all day. Does anyone know if he has always been there cos I went to school many many years ago in sligo and I dont remember him at all. I guess my head was full of other things then besides myth and legends
I LOVE SLIGO:)

slavigo

Ya he's a legend. As a young fellow, we'd go in and he'd carve small animals onto small off cuts for us or an animal and a name. Really nice guy. Nationwide on RTE did a piece on him once.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/1218/nationwide.html


Edit:
Just in case you can't watch the video.
The shop he's in used to be his fathers butchers but after his father, nobody had any interest in it and he wasn't a very good butcher so he started carving full time.

If you can watch the video. I love the bit at the end about breathing.

sligobhoy67

gubby wrote:

I recently spent a few lovely days in sligo (from Cork) and I was totally blown away by this guy Michael Quirke, Wine street. Carver of myth and legend. I could have stayed listening to him all day. Does anyone know if he has always been there cos I went to school many many years ago in sligo and I dont remember him at all. I guess my head was full of other things then besides myth and legends
I LOVE SLIGO:)

Didnt he used to be a butcher back in the days, growing up he always had a shop across the road from Lyon's - is he still there? not sure

nanook

still there, well it was the 12 months ago.

Chopper

I found his shop totally by accident one day while wandering around Sligo town.
Went back to see him about a year later as he said he would find me a genuine shillelagh. He delivered as promised and gave me a few storys about 'old Irish stick fighting' to top it off....

I asked about his history and got the story about the family butchers also. If you look around the walls you can see the old butcher shop tiles still there and the little kiosk that all the old butchers shops used to have for paying.

An absolute gentleman. If you are ever in Sligo he's worth a visit for sure. Even just to watch him work !

tuppence

Yes he is great isnt he? I went in about just over 10 years ago for the first time. Got chatting to him and he recounted the history of my name, and carved me a little carving he had started when I started talking to him. Was so touched by that gesture, and still have it. The Sligo tourist board should have him on a salary.

magnumlady

He is a lovely man. I called in to his shop today and while we were talking to him he carved my son a penguin.
He also let me take some photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnumlady/sets/72157601838149048/
He was telling us all about Knocknarea, I agree that the tourist board should pay him.

AlmightyCushion

magnumlady wrote:

He is a lovely man. I called in to his shop today and while we were talking to him he carved my son a penguin.
He also let me take some photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnumlady/sets/72157601838149048/
He was telling us all about Knocknarea, I agree that the tourist board should pay him.

Those are amazing.

magnumlady

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Those are amazing.

Thank you!!:)

paulie.walnuts

You often hear loose talk of people being legends, well this guy is. An absolute gentleman (carved my little sister a cat with her name in irish under it as my father who knows him spoke to him).