ALFRED WOODS, DULEEK, BORN 1934

Blacksmithing has been the trade of the Woods’ family who have lived in the townland of Bolies in the parish of Duleek, on the Ashbourne Road, for nine generations. Until the end of the Second World War Alfred worked at the forge and he shares his expert knowledge about the workplace, the tools and the language of the blacksmith. The Woods’ forge was renowned in the old days for corrective shoeing. He discusses his ancestral background and the fact that the family ran two forges at one time – one in Bolies and the other in nearby Stamullen. In the 19th century, the Moore Estate provided ample business for local forges. Alfred discusses the travellers’ horses, typical injuries suffered by blacksmiths and the transition from horse to tractor in more recent times.