Farmhouse and cabin furniture from all over Ireland is highlighted in an authoritative new book by Claudia Kinmonth just published by Cork University Press. Irish Country Furniture and Furnishings 1700-2000 illuminates a way of life lived by our not so distant ancestors that has almost vanished in Ireland.Lavishly illustrated, it illuminates the furniture and furnishings of rural Ireland. A chapter on chairs and stools, for example, explains how the “creepie stool” had staked legs wedged into a thick seat. This allowed for easy replacement at a time when things we built to last for many generations. The chapter on small furnishings and utensils discusses work of crafts people like basket makers, potters, tin smiths and wood turners. From the smallest cabins to the largest farmhouses people owned and made things that reflected their needs and lifestyle, occupations and cultural history at a time when re-cycling applied to everything and many objects were re-purposed. The book costs €39.
