Ireland's top two apprentices in woodwork and carpentry are off to compete in the Worldskills competition in Shanghai later this year.
The winners were announced after the national finals concluded at GMIT Letterfrack at the weekend.
Eleven finalists in the Cabinetmaking and Carpentry Competition were put through their paces on the Letterfrack campus in Connemara.
A battle of skill, precision and ultimate perfection against a ticking clock and tough judges.
The finalists come from all over Ireland and are students at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, which houses the centre for Furniture Design and Technology.
The carpenters were working on roof structures, while the woodworkers were making cabinets.
Each finalist was given a replica of the same model in each category to reproduce.
"It's essentially a speed and accuracy test so we put these finalists under time pressure. We give them 23 hours to make this cabinet but realistically it's more like a 40 hour project," according to Declan Barrett, who was the chief examiner at the national finals.
"It's a great platform to showcase their level of skill and craftsmanship."
Sean Treacy is a lecturer at GMIT Letterfrack and says that all the students compete in a preliminary competition and the top six come through to compete in the finals.
"These students have been working for the last two years in workshops up to 30 hours a week, training, learning the skills to be able to undertake a project like they're learning today," Mr Treacy said.
In Shanghai students will be set an even tougher task, and they compete against other Worldskills winners to be in with a chance of achieving the top place.
Matthew Shakespeare from Foxrock in Dublin was the winner in the carpentry competition.
The top cabinet maker was Daniel Stratford from Virginia in Cavan.
"This is about representing GMIT and representing the country," Mr Stratford said.
"I'm feeling great because I'm going to Shanghai to compete with the best in the world with my skill set.
I've been in GMIT for two years. We're at the cabinet making for the last 22 hours, starting from rough cut boards, right through to making the final piece. It's been a long three and a half days so I'm ready for bed now."
The two winners join Team Ireland in the Worldskills Competition. There will be plumbers, joiners, tilers and other highly-skilled craftspeople to showcase Irish talent on a world stage.
Paul Leamy, Head of Centre, GMIT Letterfrack, says: "We are delighted to collaborate with WorldSkills Ireland in hosting this event. These competitions showcase the pinnacle of national talent in their respective categories and present the winners with the opportunity to compete on a world stage.
"It is a fantastic testament to the commitment and skill of staff involved in preparing our students to compete with the best in the world," Mr Leamy added.
Letterfrack is the National Centre for Excellence in the fields of furniture and wood product design. Many innovative pieces have been created here and graduates have carved out successful careers within the wood and construction industries.
