A local craftsman comes to the aid of the American Circus in the west of Ireland.
The American Circus is on a two year tour of Ireland and a west of Ireland craftsman found himself making leatherwork for the circus animals.
Amongst the exotic acts from the circus are performing elephants and a group of six stallions owned by a German family.
One of the things that brightens up our lives socially is when the circus comes to town.
In Ballinasloe County Galway craftsman Alan Ward is repairing the saddles and harnesses for the circus horses. Trained in England Alan Ward returned to the west of Ireland determined to make a successful business from this dying craft. With the help of a grant, he renovated a stone cottage at his home as a workshop and is now building a reputation as an excellent craftsman. He recalls the day Bernard Kaselowsky arrived at his workshop in need of his help with some leatherwork. A visit to the circus ws required to see what work needed to be done.
He pulled out leatherwork, fantastically coloured patent leatherwork, elephant headdresses, bridals with beautiful plumes on them, harnesses. I had never seen anything like it.
Alan Ward was asked to create some designs and to quote for the leatherwork. The order proved to be his biggest challenge as a craftsman to date. There were just three weeks to make the new designs before the new circus season. All the leatherwork was in the American flag colours of red, white and blue.
Local retired saddler Rory Kilduff visited the workshop to inspect the finished product and was very impressed. After approval from the client, the finished products were fitted on the animals and adjustments were made before a performance in Belfast that evening.
This episode of 'Nationwide' was broadcast on 31 October 1999. The presenter is Michael Ryan and the reporter is Mary Fanning.
