I visited the area (West Ireland Farm Stay) with my nine-year-old son. We spent about 90 minutes with Pat, and at the end, he desperately wanted to be a blacksmith. Pat was so kind and such a great teacher for my high-energy boy. The moment my son stepped into the workshop, he calmed right down and was eager to learn – that was because Pat didn’t spend a ton of time lecturing to him; he just had him jump right in and start working on the metal. If I could write a book on how to teach children, this would be a prime example. If you are from the US, you understand how rare and important this type of teaching is. At the end of the session, my son had two metal pieces, which are now his prized possessions. He made me order hooks right away so he could hang them on his wall. He also had me look into what it would take to set up a forge in our backyard (in Chicago, no less). I am so grateful that he experienced this and has a new respect for this type of work and its importance in the region. Pat is absolutely fantastic – this experience is worth so much more than we paid.
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