Welcome to InHand 26

Over the weekend of 18–20 September 2026, The InHand Forum will bring together makers, craftspeople, researchers and the wider community for an immersive celebration of heritage skills through hands-on workshops, professional experimentation, field trials and public talks.

The 2026 programme has been redesigned to offer a flexible choice of one- and two-day intensive workshops within a three-day festival ticket, allowing participants to experience multiple crafts or deepen their knowledge by extending their principal craft into a third day. Taster sessions will run throughout the weekend, and one-day workshop tickets will also be available to those who would like to spend a day learning a new skill.

For the first time, the festival will be open to the public, from 11 am until 4pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, inviting visitors to observe crafts in practice, explore live experiments and field trials, and engage with the knowledge, skill and energy behind traditional material production.

By bringing together experts, learners and the public, The InHand Forum creates a dynamic space to research, revive and reimagine endangered craft knowledge. Through collaboration and experimentation, the festival reconnects people with traditional making processes while fostering new ideas that link heritage skills with contemporary practice and future innovation.

Bladesmithing

18th-19th 9.30am -4.30 pm

Drystone Walling

19th-20th 9.30am - 4.30 pm

Dom Keogh returns for his second year teaching the ancient technique of dry stone walling. Covering foundations, profiles and lines and stone dressing. A fascinating hands on introduction to an ancient but still valuable building method.  

Lime Repointing

This is a one day introduction to repointing lead by John Conway, tutor at The Hollies Centre for Sustainable Living, Cork.. An essential maintenance practice for exposed lime mortar walls, this short course will introduce students to the techniques practiced for centuries to effectively maintain lime mortar structures.

Letter Carving

Sunday 20th Sept 10.00 am - 5.00 pm

We are delighted to have master craftsman Seamus Dunbar at this years event. Seamus will host a one day course focusing on design and carving of letter forms in stone.

From Ore to Artefact

Fri 18th - Sun 20th Sept 9.30am - 4.30 pm

Charles Torres & Simon Pellequer (France) will join with Jens Jorgen Oleson (Denmark) and national Furnace Festival tutors to share specialist knowledge of ancient metal processes in this exciting 3 day workshop. 

Welding for Women

Sun 20th Sept 10am - 5pm

Due to popular demand we are very excited to offer a second all female welding introduction course. Lead by decorative ironworker Mary Reynolds, this day course will be a safety focused primer on the amazing process of arc welding. Beyond the heat and sparks welding is a subtle and gentle method of creating incredibly strong joins in many metals. (This one day course can also be booked as part of our 3-day forum ticket)

Introduction to Chasing and Repouse

Saturday 19th, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm 

Fee €160 (includes all materials & lunch)

Join award-winning jeweller and Silverworks/ NCAD CEAD tutor Clodagh Molloy to learn the ancient techniques of chasing and repoussé and produce your own design in relief on copper sheet. (This one day course can also be booked as part of our 3-day forum ticket)

Bronze Casting in Sand

Sat 19th & Sun 20th Sept

Ciaran Patterson is back offering a course in the fascinating and versatile Sand Casting technique. Ciaran specializes in traditional and contemporary foundry processes. At this year's In Hand Forum, he is running an intensive, hands-on sand casting workshop, sharing his technical expertise to guide participants through metal casting and basic patination techniques.

Blacksmithing/Tool-making

Fri 18th-Sat 19th  

Mark Dillon brings his MAD hammers and blacksmithing skills to InHand 2026. Suitable for beginners and improvers participants can choose from a range of tools including knife blade, Tomahawk, Froe, carving axe, adze, hammer for their weekend project. Over 2 days participants will learn all of the basic blacksmithing skills required to create their own tool or object, with a third day (sun 20th) possible for any finishing, practicing or trying a completely new skill.

Relief Stone Carving

Fri 19th & Sat 20th 9.30am - 4.30 pm

James Horan is back teaching low relief stone carving. During this class participants will get to design and carve their own ideas in stone. Creating robust and durable decorative pieces. All materials and tools are provided. The workshop fee includes a complimentary 3rd day (sun 20th) to continue refining your skills or explore another craft entirely.

Wicklow Willow short course

Sun 20th 9.30am -12.30 pm . Workshop Fee €80 includes materials

Willow worker Aoife Patterson will offer a short introduction to willow basketry. Participants can expect to gain experience by weaving their own tapered bread basket. (This half day course can also be booked as part of our 3-day forum ticket)

Stone polishing of Iron

The polishing of tools and weapons from antiquity to the medieval period relied on stones. During this class, Rowan Taylor of The National School of Blacksmithing, Hereford UK, will present the different types of stones used from the Iron Age to the early medieval period, followed by a hands-on session where learners will select stones and polish an artefact. Artefacts to be polished will be supplied. 

Blacksmithing for Beginners

Sun 20th 10am- 4.30 pm 

Forged in Ireland tutors lead this hands-on beginners class in traditional blacksmithing. Participants will learn all the basic skills required to forge a small object such as a pendant, arrow-head or small tool.

Lost Foam Casting

Friday 19th Sept.

Lost Foam Casting : Ciaran Patterson is going to be showing how to carve models from foam blocks and then make a 1-part sand mould and bronze cast. Its an accessible, simpler version of lost wax casting.