Welcome to Forged In Ireland, a passionate not for profit association dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of traditional metal crafts across the country.
Our group is a collective of skilled craftsmen and women, spanning all levels of expertise from enthusiastic beginners to seasoned professionals. We come together with a shared goal: to foster a vibrant hub where information, support, and appreciation for various metalworking disciplines thrive.
The members of Forged In Ireland regularly get together to demonstrate the art of smithing, share skills, forge and of course have an odd pint!
To see where we're meeting up next, watch videos and see photos from previous events take a look at our Events Calendar
If you're interested in pursuing blacksmithing, or a related craft give us a shout through the contact page and we'll help you as best as we can.
19th-20th September 2025
Get ready for two days of sparks, skill, and serious craic at Steel Bangers 2026! Hosted in the covered Ennis Market Building, in Co. Clare. With many blacksmiths demonstrating and competing in competitions along with other crafts.
16th August 2026
Forged In Ireland returns to Fethard for the 2026 Centenary Festival, bringing the heat, noise, and skill of traditional blacksmithing into the heart of the celebrations. Expect live forging, hands-on craft, and a rare chance to see Ireland’s heritage of ironwork brought vividly to life.
24-26th July 2026
One of our favourite events of the year, Forged In Ireland are looking forward to a weekend of smithing tests and trials, and our yearly artist blacksmith competition.
30-31st May 2026
Join us for the first `Nordy Forgy` at the Glenravel International Furnace Festival! There's guaranteed to be something for eveyone with smelting and the Forged In Ireland team demonstrating forge and smithing skills.
28-29th March 2026
Join the great guys of IABA from Leeside Forge for a weekend of forging and smithing. This years theme is `Vessels`.
19-21st September 2025
3 days of workshops and talks exploring heritage skills and local knowledge.
13th-14th September 2025
Get ready for two days of sparks, skill, and serious craic at Steel Bangers 2025! Hosted in the covered Ennis Market Building, in Co. Clare. With many blacksmiths demonstrating and competing in competitions along with other crafts.
23-24th August, 2025
This year, Forged In Ireland was proud to be part of the Fethard Annual Heritage Festival, bringing the fire, skill, and craftsmanship of traditional blacksmithing to life! Read more and watch the video and see the gallery.
16th-18th August 2025
Join us for this three day class, where you will learn to craft an early Bronze-Age spear using historical and primitive technologies! Skilled instructors Rowan Taylor and Clare Collier will guide you through each step of the process, from carving the soapstone mold to casting and cold-working the bronze, to shaping, straightening and fitting the shaft.
10th August 2025
Fire met steam in Moynalty this August as Forged in Ireland returned to the Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival for a weekend that was loud, competitive and unforgettable. Surrounded by working vintage machinery and record festival crowds, the focus was simple: who could forge the best - and strongest - set of three chain links?
25-27th July 2025
The heat was on in Banagher this July as Forged in Ireland returned for the third year to host the Battle of the Blacksmiths as part of the That Beats Banagher Festival. Set along the banks of the Shannon, the ring of anvils and roar of forges once again drew a strong crowd, eager to watch traditional skills tested under pressure.16th July 2025
Displays of Blacksmithing, Sand Casting, Iron Smelting and Repoussé in Copper at the amazing Ballina Salmon Festival.
5th-6th July 2025
Forged in Ireland promoting metal craft to the public at the Flavours of Fingal County Fair with smelting and blacksmith demonstrations and educational talks - firing up the forge and bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of traditional blacksmithing to Newbridge House & Farm.
27-29th June 2025
Following the success of last year’s event, members of Forged in Ireland and FurnaceFestival.ie will continue their research into medieval iron smelting, steelmaking, and forging.
31st May - 1st June 2025
Join the Tenth Glen Heritage Farm for this amazing opportunity to reclaim your ancestral skills. An event to inspire the curious, induct the newcomer, light a fire under the amateur, provide a stage for the hobbyist, an audience for the professional and eager apprentices for the masters of the crafts.
29th May - 2nd June 2025
See the members of IABA (Irish Artists Blacksmith Association) in action at this horticultural festival.
24-25th May 2025
Renowned researchers and craftspeople will share their skills and knowledge at Butser Ancient Farm on the weekend of 24 and 25 May 2025. Demonstrations of various metalworkers will take place while national and international researchers are presenting big-picture overviews of their findings. In-depth talks on the history of metal objects next to the creation of ‘metal art’.
29-30th March 2025
This year’s theme? You guessed it - the 150mm Challenge! On the day, you'll get a 150mm long piece of 20mm square steel - and the creative world is your oyster! The only rule? No extra material. That’s right, no welding bits on - just pure craftsmanship and ingenuity.
24th August 2024
Join us for the estemed Caherconnell Furnace Festival on the last weekend in August for a lovely bit of smelting!
26-28th July 2024
Forged in Ireland visit the 'That Beats Banagher Festival' - for our second visit to this beautiful location.
27th June 2024
The Forged In Ireland Craic Squad were proud to attend the Ballina Heritage Day, part of the Ballina Salmon Festival displaying a small part of the wide range of our members skills.
25-27th March 2024
Our first International Forgy!! An exchange of smelting and smithing skills and knowledge with our UK brethren, and maybe a few jars!
4th August 2023
A massive thanks to the people of Ballylongford for making us welcome for the 3rd year in a row.
September 2025
City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Forgework. The course covers a wide range of areas related to the skills and knowledge required for progressing to further learning and training in Forgework, Blacksmithing or Farriery. The course runs one day a week (Wednesday) during the academic year from September 2025.