These portraits are a small part of a larger ongoing ‘cavemen’ project to capture portraits of traditional Irish instrument makers in their environment. These are devoted builders, often bringing generations of experience to their craft and art. The project sets out not to document the process but to capture the essence of the builder in a sequence of portraits. ‘Cave’ is a reference to the often small and ad-hoc working environments that the builders create for their craft. Not to mention a safe haven and retreat.

Thanks to the builders for their trust and cooperation, there are more to come – Paul.