Mudlarking, soap crafts, calligraphy — some of Ireland's most unusual hobbies

Calming, entertaining, and sometimes even a money maker, Gwen Loughman meets some people with rather unusual pastimes

Variety is the spice of life - and for many of us, hobbies are its primary ingredient

Who knew that when we were diligently collecting fancy papers, scented erasers, and Cabbage Patch Dolls back in the ’80s, this innocent hobby was helping us to find joy beyond our daily routines.

A section on the HSE website backs this up, stating that doing something creative can improve our mood. 

It specifically mentions participating in artistic hobbies where our full attention is needed, thus distracting ourselves from negative thoughts. 

An added bonus is enhanced confidence and an all-round sense of well-being.

Cosplay

Julian's Grulinda cosplay

Julian, originally from Italy but living in Dublin for the last nine years, can speak to this. His pursuit is cosplay, short for costume play, an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes to represent a specific character.

He says he has been “quietly but powerfully reshaped” by his hobby, “pushed out of his comfort zone” and shown “just how much confidence, creativity, and colour I can bring into my own life”.

Julian’s cosplay name is Grulinda and he has been involved in the pastime since 2018.

“I studied comic books and illustration in college back in Italy so I’ve been to many conventions back home but it was only when I moved to Ireland that I found the confidence to get into it. Probably because the community was very friendly and I felt included straight away.”

Julian as Grulinda. Picture: officialgrulinda

For Julian, cosplay is not just about donning a costume. 

“It’s like borrowing a piece of magic from the worlds I love. It’s stepping into a character’s skin, carrying their confidence, their quirks, even their flaws for a little while. There’s something deeply joyful about that transformation. I get to be creative with my hands, but also with my heart.”

Julian’s sentiments definitely support the idea that hobbies give us a safe space to process our emotions, offering calm when life feels overwhelming and joy when we need a lift.

Needle felting

Kate Clisson with one of her felted friends.

During lockdown when life was undoubtedly very difficult for some, Kate Clisson, Ardmore, in Waterford, discovered needle felting, a craft that uses notched needles to sculpt wool into shapes and designs. 

With wool as her medium of choice, this proved to be “incredibly soothing and calming” for Clisson and she found it also “helped distract her from unwanted thoughts such as when the lockdown was to end”.

Deriving both fun and comfort from working with wool, her most unusual creation was a small piranha figure, originating from a request by her son. 

However, crafting sculptures of dogs is where she finds most enjoyment. 

“My greatest hobbies are dog shows and needle felting. I love dogs of all breeds and sizes, and it is greatly reflected in my work. Every dog has its own character and I try my best to paint this in detail within my creations.”

Kate Clisson brings Paddington to life.

Needle felting isn’t just a pastime for Clisson; it’s also a way to highlight the value of wool and the work of farmers. 

“I believe that working with wool is not only a nice hobby but also brings attention to the hard work of the farmers. Wool can be used not solely for creating felting, knitting, and sewing art, but also wool may be used in your garden for fertiliser and even insulation. Overall, it’s an incredibly interesting product that is priceless.”

Mudlarking

Leon Gaynor goes mudlarking

Cork man Leon Gaynor has been a mudlark for 35 years. Mudlarking is the practice of exploring riverbanks at low tide to uncover lost or discarded items such as coins, pottery, and jewellery.

Having grown up in the countryside, Gaynor was often curious about the items churned up by the farmer’s plough.

“Mostly broken china and occasionally clay pipes and the odd coin.” A student of biology, he says that “looking down at plants or shells comes naturally to me”.

“It takes a while to get your eye in but after a while you notice more. I usually just pick up what’s on the surface and don’t dig.

“A lot of it is just idle curiosity, you never know what you’re going to find on any given day. It’s just potluck but each day will reveal new things.”

Gaynor says although others have benefitted financially from discovering rare bottles, this is not his intent. “I don’t think I’ll ever find anything of value; that’s not the point. Most items I’ll just photograph and leave them there for someone else.”

Soap making

Catalina Borta, soap crafter

Hobbies are mainly pursued for fun and relaxation but sometimes they can offer another pay off. Quite literally. 

Catalina Borta, Ballinasloe, County Galway, left the corporate world to master the art of crafting handmade soaps and candles and now runs her own online shop (bluedoorshop.com).

“I started dabbling with chocolate, and when I realised I could not meet all the conditions for food safety requirements, I did market research on what other materials I could use. Soaps stood out to me. It was always about shapes, colours, and scents. And fun.”

Some of the carved soap products made by Catalina Borta for bluedoorshop.com

Her hobby-turned-small business is also a nostalgic nod to her younger days. “It reminds me of my childhood, when my parents and grandparents would place bars of soap in between folded clothes, so that they smelled good for a long time.”

Borta says soap making is very different from working a corporate job where “ all you do, essentially, all day is intellectual work. On the other hand, soap making is very grounding. You can smell the scents, touch the materials”.

For her, the most rewarding part of sharing her work with others is “seeing them get as excited as I was when I made them. People have told me that they don’t even use them, they prefer to preserve them. If they use or prefer to keep them intact, I’m glad my soaps can bring a sliver of joy in their lives”.

Calligraphy

Louise Glavey, Oranmore, Galway of gracalligraphy.com 

Interested in beautiful handwriting from a young age, it was during the preparation for her wedding that the art of calligraphy truly came into its own for Louise Glavey, Oranmore, Galway.

“I knew I wanted the handwritten elements to look really elegant. So, I looked up pointed pen calligraphy online, bought some supplies, and consumed every blog post or YouTube video I could find.”

Now she runs workshops for the growing number of people interested in learning the craft of artful penmanship (gracalligraphy.com).

In a digital age where handwritten notes have taken a backseat to texts and emails, Glavey is happy to see a growing interest in the older and more traditional crafts.

Some of Louise's work

“Maybe it’s because they feel rare and special now. Calligraphy is a lovely art form, because for the writer it’s a creative outlet and for the receiver of the card or gift, it’s a beautifully personalised keepsake.”

Glavey says shows such as  Bridgerton have helped spark renewed interest in calligraphy and she uses words such as ‘meditative’ and ‘romantic’ to describe the art. 

“The outside world doesn’t get a look in while you’re concentrating on letterforms and ink flow. It’s a very mindful practice.”

Her workshops are popular because, she says, “learning in person gives people the close tuition and strong start they might be needing, rather than searching aimlessly for lessons online. They also get to meet other like-minded people”.