A willow weaver from Belleek shares insights into her craft.

This ancient craft is something that Ciara Smith, from Belleek, has perfected thanks to a gifted teacher and highly-skilled master craftsman called Tommy O'Brien.

Tommy has been a basket maker for more than three decades and was especially delighted when his nephew’s wife plucked up the courage to ask him to pass on the tricks of the trade.

Ciara recalls: “I was always keen to learn, but very nervous to start with as I never really thought of myself as a crafty person.

“During the pandemic, a friend and I began trying to make modest crafts at home. Her birthday was coming up and I thought she’d really appreciate something made by hand, so I asked Tommy to show me how to make a basket as a present for her.”

It was a match made in heaven, and before long these early tentative steps gave way to a quiet confidence in her ability that continues to grow.

Ciara was a contestant on last year’s BBC television series, ‘Make It At Market’, and credits her success and the honing of her skills to Tommy’s inimitable ability to convey the essential qualities required to master this age-old art form,

“Tommy is so passionate, but also very patient. He's got a great personality.

“He really holds a class together and when people relax into the class they become less nervous and their confidence builds.

“He has a really good way about him. His calmness and quiet demeanour is infectious, and that kind of atmosphere is conducive for learning.”

There are very few tools involved in the production of willow baskets. By its very nature, willow is tactile, and a pliable type of wood. In the right hands, Ciara says it’s easy to work with.

“I love willow; it’s got little buds growing along the branches, and there are many different varieties.

“They all have their own distinctive feel when you work with them, and bring about a very strong connection with the senses.

“What you feel with your hands feeds back to your brain, which then guides each movement in the creative process.”

Willow is a highly-versatile and quick-growing crop that can be stripped, steamed or dyed to produce rods in a multitude of colours and finishes. The bark can be removed or left on.

Ciara is acutely conscious and respectful of the historic nature of the craft that she has become devoted to, and is proud of the part that she now plays in ensuring its continued longevity.

“Unfortunately, in the 1980s this beautiful, bygone tradition was close to dying out. The introduction of plastic dealt a hammer blow to many willow weavers.

“Thankfully, a few key basket makers were determined to ensure that it would never be forgotten, and heritage baskets are still being made today.”

Ciara feels a strong ancestral link with this ancient custom; an ethereal connection which initially mystified her, but now makes perfect sense.

As soon as she started making baskets, she felt for the first time that her hands were doing exactly what they were supposed to.

Her sense of place and the pull of home keeps her going back to her roots for inspiration, and feeds the pride and reverence that she has for the rods and branches that she works with, and the creations that she makes.

For Ciara, basket making is more than just a craft – it’s a journey back in time; a tether to our rich heritage.

Drawing inspiration from the picturesque landscapes of Fermanagh, every basket tells a story, meticulously handcrafted to blend tradition with functionality.

Rooted in age-old techniques, her creations are not just baskets; they are a celebration of our ancestors' wisdom, a testament to the timeless beauty of simplicity.

With each weave, she endeavours to honour the legacy of traditional Irish craftsmanship, offering pieces that aren't just practical, but also steeped in history.

She is grateful for the exposure that her television appearance provided and the way in which it increased the profile of a variety of heritage crafts, shining a light on the abilities and passion required to master these bygone techniques.

“I think it's important that people realise the amount of work that goes into hand-made crafts. The BBC producers were very supportive and so interested.

“They have helped turn my dream of running a successful business as a willow weaver into a reality.”

But it’s the know-how of her husband's uncle Tommy that trumps her experience, to date.

She will be forever grateful that she asked him to show her how to master the skills she now uses so deftly.

“From the first basket, I was hooked! And now the business works so well with my family commitments.

“With every basket I weave, I aim to share a piece of the initial wonder that I felt.

“It brings me immense joy to think that people might experience something similar when they receive one of my baskets. I just want to keep making them forever.”

Ciara also teaches basket-making classes and gets enormous satisfaction when her students have completed their own designs.

“She admits to a house full of her own creations, a surplus sometimes from the fairs that she regularly attends.

“When you go to a craft fair you don’t always sell everything you’ve brought. So, yes I have a fair few things in the house made from willow – for shopping, logs for the fire, and as general storage containers.

“But I don't hoard them. I like to let people look and touch them, and if they want to place an order, even better.”

Her artistry is also very useful at Christmas and for birthdays. She rarely has to think for long about what kind of a basket to make for her friends and family, and enjoys the notion of passing on a little bit of her passion with each gift.

Despite her own talent, she loves nothing more than being given a willow basket as a present herself.

Her fervent hope is that what she weaves will stand the test of time, and that each creation will become a cherished heirloom passed down from one generation to the next.

What she once doubted in herself now stands as a testament to the beauty of discovery and the joy of creation.

Ciara is keeping the ancient art of willow weaving alive, one basket at a time.

Anne Marie McAleese is a broadcaster, writer and author who considers Fermanagh as one of her favourite places. You can listen to her every Saturday morning on BBC Radio Ulster’s, ‘Your Place and Mine’, 8am-9am.