What is bog oak and bog wood?

Six to seven thousand years ago forests of oak, yew and pine grew where these bog lands are now today. The remains of those forests are found 4.5m to 6m deep in the bogs.

These trees have undergone a great chemical change over the years. The oak changes in colour to black, the yew to a reddish brown and the pine to a golden yellow. It is from the depths of these bogs that the artists get their raw material and inspiration.

The wood is sourced in local bogs in Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. This is then sorted and stored in an open-sided shed and the drying process can take up to four years to complete.

Modern rapid drying techniques such as kiln-drying have proved to be ineffective as it makes the timber brittle and can cause it to split. Therefore, the only sure way to achieve a workable piece of bog wood is to allow nature to take its course. The final finish on each sculpture is beeswax for indoor sculptures and linseed oil for outdoor sculptures.