Bespoke veneer work for a global market skillfully crafted in the heart of Donegal

From his hillside workshop in Fintown in the heart of Donegal, Ciaran McGill creates stunning pieces of veneer work for clients all over the world.

Modern machinery sits alongside traditional tools; sheets of veneer in hues and grains of a range of wood types are mirrored in pieces at various stages of completion. There is a strong sense of productivity, of creativity, of an excellence that comes from well-honed skills and meticulous attention to detail.

Ten years since he took the decision to start his own business at the age of 24, Ciaran has built a strong client base and a phenomenal catalogue of work.

His love for woodwork began in his youth, when he was out on sites with his father.

“He was a plasterer, but I always wanted to work with wood,” says Ciaran. “I was introduced to it in secondary school.”

From there, Ciaran went to GMIT Letterfrack where he studied furniture design and manufacture. This led to him spending time in the UK and completing a Masters in Furniture Design at London Metropolitan University.

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He worked in a number of workshops, developing his skills and learning about the business. One of these workshops specialised in marquetry, a technique that was of particular interest to the young craftsman. Marquetry is the art of cutting and applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns and designs.

“I realised then that it was very difficult to find a job that combined everything in terms of design, marquetry, and furniture making, so I decided to move back to Ireland and set up the business,” says Ciaran.

As a young artisan, starting off a new business could have been daunting, but Ciaran took a measured approach. He made samples and took them to companies and people with whom he was interested in working. He took part in exhibitions, took on private commissions, and over time, built a strong client base.

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Ciaran’s varied work to date includes bespoke tables, decorative boxes, chessboards, and even a four poster bed and other large pieces of furniture.

Sometimes he designs the whole piece, other times the client has made a piece of furniture and is calling on Ciaran to make a matching veneer. In some cases, he makes items for other artisans, such as boxes for Castlebar jeweller Nigel O’Reilly.

Ciaran got married to Grainne last year, and the couple have two young children, a boy and a girl. And with his first decade in business now complete, he is looking to the future.

“I would like to work on bigger projects, large tables, conference tables, big free standing projects and more private commissions, and hopefully move into a bigger premises,” he says. “That is the main ambition, to do more of my own design work and start-to-finish projects.”

So what advice does Ciaran have for young artisans hoping to make a living from their craft?

“The first few years are difficult to get the work in and generate the revenue and pay the wage, so start small and go from there,” he says.

“If you can get experience, for example, if you are a potter, work for a potter, that helps. What you learn working for them will save you countless time yourself down the line. That would be key, to get that experience.”

Ciaran’s work and contact details can be found at theveenerist.com

This feature appeared in Donegal Life magazine earlier this year. The current issue is in shops now, packed with a fantastic selection of local interviews, travel, food and drink, entertainment and more.