Whyte Christmas: The Cork craftsman keeping tradition alive 

Michael Whyte holds one of his iconic wooden rockers, a toy that has become his best seller over the years. Picture: Chani Anderson

From the outside, toy maker Michael Whyte’s house might look like any other residence.

But it’s the magic which happens behind closed doors that sets it apart. The father of five includes his children in everything he does. Ranging in age from 13 to 25, they might be too old for toys, but that hasn’t stopped them having fun with dad as they road test some of his new and impressive handmade creations.

Eolann, aged 25, Loaise, aged 23, Oisín, aged 20, Aoibhínn, aged 17, and Aisling, aged 13, are all very proud of their dad’s handiwork.

Their home in Riverstick, Co Cork is a hive of activity as Michael shows off some of his quirkier designs. With the festive season in full swing, this is his busiest time of year. However, he shows no signs of stress as he mixes work with family time.

The craftsman, who fashions all manner of wooden toys, has come a long way since founding his business Ro Óg Ltd Ireland in 2011. What started off as a sketch of a small bike on a napkin in a Spanish restaurant has now grown into a thriving small enterprise.

Michael shows us the workshop in his garden where he crafts everything by hand and with meticulous detail. Signature products include his miniature wooden cows, giant connect four sets, balance boards, and model cars. The pride he takes in his work is in stark contrast to a culture that favours mass production over artistic integrity. It’s a pride the 57-year-old has carried through from his childhood.

“From a very young age I had an appreciation for handmade things,” he tells the Irish Examiner.

“I remember at the age of eight calling into a lady on the way to school who made handmade jumpers. I placed an order without ever running it by my mum. It was a black jumper with an orange stripe. I loved the idea of getting something that was handmade. Of course, my mother had no idea I was going to do anything like that and ended up paying for a jumper she could ill-afford.

And his love for handmade, bespoke pieces didn’t stop there. 

I was always making things but it started off with clocks. It drove my mum mad as there were always tools everywhere.

Not much has changed since then, even though Michael tries his best to limit his crafting to his workshop. Many of his toys are made from recycled materials sourced locally.

“The Connect 4 game is upcycled from old school benches. I’ll always tell any school needing to get rid of these benches not to throw them out because they are very valuable to me. At the same time I have to be careful with what I take. One of the things you have to watch out for is woodworm. There was one time where I got offered a lot of stuff but had to refuse it because it was quite infected.”

Michael often receives bespoke requests from his customers, often treasured toys from their childhood.

Some people will get on to me to see if I can recreate a childhood toy they had when they were young. 

"Unfortunately, there are issues around that due to the way in which a lot of older toys were made. You’ll notice with my pieces that there are no screws or nails. It’s very hard to recreate what they are looking for without having the safety aspect in it. Some of the older vehicular type toys were great in the day but these days we know them to be quite dangerous.”

One f Michael's daughters tests out one of his creations. Picture Chani Anderson.

Michael says the most unusual toy he was ever asked to make was a zoo for someone’s children. “I was amazed because I never had a request like that before. I’ve had people asking me about dolls houses but this was a first. They wanted a lot of details so I had to research all the different enclosures for animals from polar bears to giraffes.”

Running the business single-handedly can be a struggle for Michael.

“When I started crafting people told me that they would be able to buy the toys cheaper from another country. I knew I couldn’t afford to be that competitive but I could up the quality. I made the choice there and then to compete in quality rather than quantity. I might produce 30 or 40 of the smaller toys a month. The bigger ones I might make 10 or 12 of but that’s a significant investment for me when you consider the costs of materials.”

A noticeable shift to digital gifts for children at Christmas is of little concern to Michael. “I took my products to a summer programme where all the children had access to their phones. Even though they had the devices they still engaged and showed an interest in the games which was great to see.”

And he said the job is very rewarding. “One of the most rewarding moments for me was meeting a couple who purchased one of my timber children’s rockers. 

Their kids are in their 20s now but they said they are all fighting over who can have it so they can keep it for their own children. That meant a lot to me.

“It’s also nice to see the uses some parents find for my products. For example I have these cars that are activated by a little balloon you blow up that comes attached to them.

“A mother decided to buy some because she felt they would be beneficial for her children with Cystic fibrosis. By blowing up the balloon it creates the necessary exercise they need for their chest.”