For International Children’s Day 2025, explore poetic responses to your locality and create your own poem, with acclaimed young Irish poet Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi* and the team at the Museum of Childhood Ireland
The workshop connects child and youth voices about their local environments with Ireland’s rich architectural heritage. This concept aligns beautifully with the museum’s ethos of celebrating children’s perspectives, cultural heritage, creativity. and sustainability.
Looking at historic to contemporary poetic responses to the built environment, and considering the industries and the workers responsible for the wealth of beautiful wrought iron railings, gates, coal holes, doors and fanlights of our homes, towns and villages, the children will develop their own poetic response.
The poetry workshop invites children to:
- Meet aclaimed young poet Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi
- Observe their local built environment, particularly focusing on architectural elements like wrought iron railings, gates, doors, and fanlights
- Celebrate beauty, craftsmanship, trades and tradespeople
- Learn about the workers and industries that created these elements, exploring the social history behind their neighborhoods
- Connect their own experiences of home and belonging to these physical spaces
- Hear poems that connect with environments
- Create original poetry that expresses children’s relationships with their surroundings and articulates their voices in their environments
Poet Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi will guide children/youth through an examination of how poetry has historically documented relationships between people and places, from traditional verse to contemporary urban poets.
The participants will develop their own poem, and the workshop will culminate in a poetry exhibition online and in BOI, Dúnlaoghaire, honouring both the architectural heritage of Ireland and the vital perspectives of its children on their locality.
This approach celebrates children as cultural participants with meaningful opinions about their environments, perfectly embodying the Museum’s ongoing commitment to respecting and encouraging child and youth voices. Child Rights. Child Voice. Child Participation. Aligning to Article 12 of the UNCRC and with UNSDG.
Parents/guardians are very welcome to attend/participate.
The child/youth workshop will be held in the DLR Lexicon Library, Room 2 on level 5 on Friday 30th May from 16:00 to 17:00, with an optional town walkabout to follow from 5-6pm.
Places are free but limited, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Format: Arrival, and short introduction to museumofchildhood.ie and the topic for International Children’s Day 2025 by the museum team- 5 mins. Poetry readings by Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi – 20 mins. Write your own poem workshop – 30 mins. Optional walkabout in Dúnlaoghaire follows.
Museum of Childhood Ireland resources for participants attending on Friday:
1.
Dublin & Dun Laoghaire Architecture
2.
Poems of the Built Environment
and
https://www.rte.ie/special-reports/illuminations2020/natalya-oflaherty
See the MCI Child Rights team here: https://museumofchildhood.ie/childrens-rights-team/
To book, please email info@museumofchildhood.ie
Art workshop materials are kindly sponsored by Faber-Castell
Other useful resources to view:
Iron-The-Repair-of-Wrought-and-Cast-Ironwork-2009 Wrought-Iron-Gates-S-Caulfieldhttps://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/any-old-iron-1.230685
https://kids.kiddle.co/Wrought_iron
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/app/uploads/2020/11/Fantastic-Irish-Fanlights-of-Mayo.pdf
Wrought and cast iron
Victorian wrought iron gate, Dúnlaoghaire
Wrought iron definition: A commercial form of iron that is tough, malleable, and relatively soft, contains less than 0.3 percent and usually less than 0.1 percent carbon, and carries 1 or 2 percent of slag mechanically mixed with it.
Victorian wrought iron gate post, Dúnlaoghaire
Ornate victorian wrought iron railings, Dúnlaoghaire
Victorian wrought iron gate and railings, Dúnlaoghaire
Wrought iron gate, Dúnlaoghaire
Detail of a temporary repair in a wrought iron railing, Dúnlaoghaire
Victorian cast-iron boot scraper, Dúnlaoghaire
Modern cast-iron door mat in traditional style, Dúnlaoghaire
Consider:
Ireland boasts a rich history of ironwork, with many examples of elegant Georgian and Victorian wrought iron railings, particularly in cities like Dublin and Cork. Wrought iron, also known as forged iron, is a type of iron that is malleable and can be shaped by hand using tools like hammers and anvils. Blacksmiths play a crucial role in creating and restoring this ironwork, offering everything from gates and railings to more intricate designs like staircases and furniture.
Key aspects of wrought iron work in Ireland:
- Historical Significance:Ireland has a long-standing tradition of ironwork, showcasing the durability and functionality of the material.
- Diverse Applications:Wrought iron is used in a variety of applications, including gates, railings, balconies, fences, and even interior features like staircases and lighting.
- Hand-Forged Craftsmanship:Many Irish blacksmiths continue the tradition of hand-forging wrought iron, often incorporating contemporary designs while respecting traditional styles.
- Restoration and Preservation:There is a strong focus on restoring and conserving existing wrought ironwork, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
- Custom Designs:Blacksmiths can create custom pieces tailored to individual client needs, allowing for a unique and personalised touch.
- Contemporary Relevance:While rooted in tradition, wrought iron remains a popular choice for contemporary designs, offering both aesthetic appeal and functionality.
- Examples in Ireland:The Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin, along with many terraces and squares with iron railings, are testament to the enduring legacy of ironwork in Irish towns and cities.
With thanks to Foleys Forge for the chat, information and permission to share their video. See them at work on their website and below : http://www.foleysforge.ie/about/
What wrought iron work examples have you noticed in your area?
Doors
Early Victorian (1836) wooden door with brass door furniture, colourful, leaded stained glass and fanlight, Dúnlaoghaire
Mid Victorian door and fanlight, Dúnlaoghaire
Victorian door and fanlight, Dúnlaoghaire
Consider:
In Ireland, especially during Georgian and Victorian periods, doors and carpentry played a significant role in architectural design and social expression. Victorian-era doors often featured fanlights and elaborate brackets, while the colorful Georgian doors of Dublin became a distinct architectural hallmark, reflecting the city’s unique character.
Early Developments and the Industrial Revolution:
- Ancient Celtic Traditions: Irish woodworking has ancient roots, with Celtic artisans creating intricate carvings and structures.
- Medieval Influence: Roman carpentry traditions, evident in early medieval mills, continued to be used in wider Gaelic communities.
- The Industrial Revolution: Technological advancements allowed for the production of cast-iron window frames, particularly in industrial buildings and churches.
Georgian and Victorian Styles:
- Georgian Doors: Characterised by simple elegance, with wealthier residents opting for bolder colors like red and green to showcase their status.
- Victorian Doors: Often featured fanlights (semicircular or rectangular) and elaborate brackets supporting canopies, reflecting the style of the period.
- Dublin’s Colorful Doors: The colorful doors of Dublin, especially in squares like Merrion and Fitzwilliam, became a unique architectural feature, potentially linked to a story of rebellion against mourning orders.
Materials and Techniques:
- Panelled Doors: By the late 19th century, panelled doors became more accessible, with panel details and fittings used to date them.
- Sheeted Doors: Boarded doors continued to be made, with narrower and thinner boards becoming more common in the late 19th century.
- Iron Fittings: Hand-forged iron fittings, like hinges and locks, were prevalent, often with elegant designs even in less affluent homes.
- Window Shutters: Early forms of timber shutters were used for protection and warmth, and by the 18th century, panelled shutters were common in sash windows.
Social Expression and Rebellion:
- Door Color as Status Symbol: Wealthier residents used bolder door colors to signal their social standing.
- Rebellion against Black Doors: A story suggests Dubliners defied an order to paint their doors black in mourning for Queen Victoria, instead embracing a riot of colors.
- Personal Expression: Doorways became a space for individuals to express themselves through the choice of colors and fittings, highlighting the unique character of the city.
What examples of Victorian doors have you noticed in your area?
Traditional-Buildings-in-Ireland-Home-Owners-Handbook-2004-1Utility covers
Decorative Water utilitiy cover, Uisce
Water and P and T
Fire Hydrant
Post box, Dúnlaoghaire, 2025
What examples of Utility Covers have you noticed in your area?
From September 2025 a follow-on programme from the museum’s Art, Craft, Play Team ‘Tír na nÓg’ will have four photography and art projects with children and adolescents on:
1. Victorian railings, gates. 2. fanlights 3. Manhole covers and 4. Post boxes….
Email us at info@museumofchildhood.ie
Thank you so much to Chiamake Enyi- Amadi and to all the incredible participants today!
Photos from today’s workshop:
A Blacksmith’s Ghost
by Sarah, age 15
Pressing my palm against the iron gate,
Still warm from late afternoon sun,
I wonder at how you felt,
As the metal yielded under heat,
And your forged iron will.
The Gate Still Swings on Hinges
By Gerry, age 17
Did you think of us when you twisted these spirals?
Think that one day our fingers
Would trace your patterns like braille,
Reading our own stories hammered into every curl and line?
The gate still swings on hinges made to last centuries.
Your name forever lost,
But your signature lingers,
For everyone who pushes through,
Rushing worldwards,
Or homewards.
Coal Hole
by Martha, age 14
Beneath my feet, the iron lid bears scars from horse hooves, bicycle wheels,
Stiletto heels,
Scratched into the metal.
Once coal tumbled down this chute to feed fires that warmed my grandparents,
Now it’s just a curiosity,
To step around.
Cover
by Lucy, age 13
I can imagine a delivery man,
Day breaking,
Shoulders bent under the load,
He’d travelled the road,
To keep families warm.
Great arms,
Sweat mixed with coal dust,
Back aching.
Utilities Cover Archaeology
By Tom, age 16
I wonder what buried utilities future children will find,
What traces of our invisible labour will puzzle them?
Fiber optic cables? charging ports?
What stories will they tell about us?
Fanlight Prayers
by Aoife, age 16
Above every Victorian door, glass petals catch the light,
Semicircles of hope crafted by people who believed in beauty.
The glazier’s apprentice (maybe they were my age, maybe younger) cut each piece
by hand,
Learning the trade to the rhythm of score, the rhyme of snap.
Did they know these windows would frame a thousand hellos?
Watch children grow tall enough to see through them?
Catch morning’s halo for families not yet born?
I live in a house of white walls and clean lines,
Efficient windows that open with a simple push,
But sometimes I press my face to old glass in school,
Feeling the warps and bubbles where someone’s breath is still alive in the making.
A Stonemason’s Daughter
by Ciara, age 15
My dad cuts stone with machines that scream,
Precision measured in millimeters.
But I’ve seen the old walls, where masons worked by eye and feel,
Each stone fitted like a puzzle piece worn smooth by hand.
They say the best stonemasons builds walls to outlast their grandchildren.
I run my fingers along hundred-year-old joints,
Feeling for the spaces where mortar has crumbled, where time seeps through.
Irish walls held up during the war, the troubles, the recession, the pandemic…
What will my da’s walls witness?
What children will lean against them, wondering about the man who carefully chose each stone?
Keeper
by Niamh, age 15
I think about a doorstep that has been worn smooth under ten thousand footfalls,
Postmen with heavy bags, children racing home from school, lovers meeting in a doorway,
An old women stepping carefully with walking sticks and groceries by day.
The granite remembers everything: Dropped keys, spilled tears, first kisses, last
goodbyes.
If stones could speak, this one would tell stories to fill libraries.
I sit here in the workshop,
Thinking of my back against the door, adding my own small weight to centuries of wear.
Someday another teenager will claim that spot, adding her story to the stone’s long memory there.
When I’m old, I’ll walk past this house and remember when I dreamed and what I dreamed of at this door.
I will trace the smooth hollow my body helped create.
The Iron Workers’ Legacy
by Dylan, age 16
They came from Cork, from Derry, from small towns with no work, carrying nothing
but strong backs and the knowledge passed down of how to heat, how to bend, how
to make beauty from ore.
Now their railings line our streets like iron lace,
Intricate patterns that took hours to forge.
Each balustrade a masterpiece nobody bothers to notice unless it’s broken.
I walk to school past their work, my hand trailing along cool metal,
Thinking of the furnace heat, the ringing hammer blows, the pride in making
something that would outlast your own life.
Workers Remembered
Tara, age 17
These men built our town’s bones,
Gave it strength and grace.
Their children played in shadows cast by their father’s legacy.
I want to leave something too,
Maybe it won’t be iron or stone,
But my words might outlast me at the museum?
Poems pressed into the world like patterns in metal,
Waiting for future hands to discover what I too wrought.
All participants at the International Children’s Day workshop were presented with a Certificate of Participation by the museum
Example of Certificate of Participation
And on Saturday the 31st of May, this year we again invite children and families to join us in celebrating International children’s day.
Come along for :
Arts & crafts
Traditional games
Music
Stories
Bring a picnic, bring your friends and join us in celebrating International Children’s Day.
FREE EVENT.
Venue- Mc Clelland Park ( across from Imaginarium)
Contact:
The Imaginarium
02830257885
Project concept and management: Majella McAllister mmcallister@museumofchildhood.ie
