Acquired from maker, Michael O’Malley, Murrisk, Co. Mayo
Lobster pot
Lobster pot made by Michael O’Malley, Murrisk, Co. Mayo. NMI Collections F:1979.23.
Lobster pot made by Michael O’Malley, Murrisk, Co. Mayo. NMI Collections F:1979.23.
F:1979.23
This Lobster pot is unusual in that it was made from heather, a material not regularly used in basket making but more robust than hazel or willow. The Gliomaigh or Lobster was once considered the poor man’s chicken.
When it changed to being a luxury food is debated, but one account from Erris in Inishowen, Co Donegal, in the late 1930s, referred to it as ‘a very profitable business’.To see a short film clip of this heather pot in the making make sure to visit the basket maker section in our exhibition galleries.