About
Liam Bourke
Liam Bourke's father and grandfather were blacksmiths. Every day after school, Liam would call into his grandfather's forge in Blackpitts in Dublin. He grew up in an atmosphere of skill and craftsmanship, and although his is a different medium, he continues the tradition.
Times have changed since the 1950's when Liam exhibited his first piece - a wooden bi-plane - at a scout jamboree in Dublin's Mansion House. Now from his Wexford workshop, Liam produces masterful works of outstanding quality. The intervening years have seen him on building sites in Dublin, fitting kitchens in Oxford, restoring antiques in Cheshire, and all the while indulging his hobby of making unique pieces of furniture for family and friends. His pieces can now be found in the UK , the USA, Continental Europe, Australia, and of course, Ireland.
With a wealth of experience, highly imaginative designs and the talent to execute those designs with flair and wit, Liam Bourke produces beautiful pieces of craftsmanship - truly special.
Allen Doonan
Allen is a very promising young designer, and he is also Liam's grandson. He was educated in Oxford and is now aiming to obtain a degree in architecture. While he has collaborated with Liam on several projects in the past, the "Student Chair" - which you can see in Gallery 2 - is predominantly his own design, with Liam helping out on a few of the technical issues.
Although his main field of interest lies in architecture of the eco-friendly ilk, Allen is keen to contribute more of his time to working with Liam, designing and crafting new pieces. We are looking forward to presenting more of his work in the near future.
