Athenry News & Views Spring 2026

Spring 2026

Shoeing - fitting an iron tyre on a wooden wheel at Gardner’s

“Shoeing” refers to fitting an iron tyre around a wooden wheel. This process strengthened the wheel, protected it from wear, and ensured it could withstand rough roads and heavy loads. This was a highly skilled operation: the iron tyre was heated until red hot, expanded and then placed over the wheel. Water was poured over the metal to cool it rapidly; as the iron contracted, it shrank tightly into place, binding and strengthening the entire wheel. Although the craft declined with the arrival of rubber tyres and motor vehicles, the skill and craftsmanship of the Gardners and others remain visible today in surviving wheels and carriages across Ireland, particularly in heritage collections. Despite factory production, Gardners continued to produce a wide range of high quality hand-crafted coffins and caskets. Their undertaking service was embedded in the community, neighbours gathered to assist with practical tasks, families kept vigil at the wake but the undertaker’s role was to ensure that religious and other customs were observed respectfully. Families often relied on the same undertaker for generations. Their role extended beyond practical work. Successive generations of the family helped families navigate life’s most difficult moments with dignity and care. The family were well known for making quality domestic furniture. In both rural and small-town settings like Athenry, furniture was rarely mass-produced; instead, it was made using locally available timber and traditional techniques. Most households required sturdy, functional furniture suited to daily use. Gardners supplied items like kitchen tables and chairs, stools, dressers, cupboards, beds, chests of drawers and stairs. Furniture was rarely discarded and pieces were often brought back into Gardners after years of use to be repaired, repainted and handed down through generations.

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