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, 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

Drystone Walling

19th-20th

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.  

Letter Carving

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.

From Ore to Artefact

18th - 20th Sept

Charles Torres & Simon Pellequer from France will join with our international and national Inhand tutors to share specialist knowledge of ancient metal processes in this exciting 3 day workshop. 

Welding for Women

We are very excited to offer an 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.

Introduction to Chasing and Repoussé

Saturday 19th, 9.30 am - 4.30 pm

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.

Bronze Casting in Sand

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

18th-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 possible for any finishing, completing or trying a completely new skill.

Relief Stone Carving

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. 

Wicklow Willow short course

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.