Prized potter injured in beach photo shoot
Ballyferriter-based Louis Mulcahy suffered a dislocated shoulder and abrasions when a freak wave crashed over his display of prized once-off pottery pieces, causing more than €4,500 of damage.
The rogue wave swept Mr Mulcahy, a keen swimmer, from the beach and drove him under the surface of the water.
“I kept calm hoping that the next wave would carry me back in, which is what happened,” he said.
It was at that moment he realised that the sea had been cruel in every sense. Two “organic urns”, one valued at €4,500, had been smashed by the swell.
“These were once-off pieces which I had made myself for promotional reasons. They were made using non-traditional methods, using rolled-out clay and building it up organically,” he explained.
One of the large urns was made from natural silica, fluxes and colouring minerals, and was finished in a special red glaze. This piece, which Mr Mulcahy was particularly pleased with, was being photographed using the rock face as a backdrop when the sudden advance of the sea shattered it against the cliff face.
The drama on Clogher Beach unfolded on Wednesday, when conditions appeared to be perfect for photography.
It was only yesterday that the acclaimed potter realised that he had in fact been hurt in the incident.
“I have a dislocated shoulder and at the moment I can’t do much with one arm.”
It could be a week or two before he’s back in the pottery studio, he said.
Louis Mulcahy has been potting for nearly 40 years and runs one of the last of the big potteries making all their products exclusively in Ireland.
In 2004, he became the first Irish craftsman to receive an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland, in recognition of his artistry and the prosperity it has brought to the Dingle Peninsula community, together with his support of the local culture and the Irish language.
