Bow-maker from Mayo strikes gold at US event

A CO Mayo man has just won three gold medals at the Violin Society of America bow-making competition in Cleveland, Ohio.

Gary Leahy from Newport makes bows for a variety of string instruments. He won gold at the biggest violin and bow-making competition in the world for his viola bow, violin bow and cello bow.

“It’s a big competition and there were 80 bows and over 500 instruments,” Mr Leahy says. “It is a nice kind of competition though because if any entrant meets a certain standard they are awarded gold. There were three gold winners in some categories.”

He is one of only two bow makers in the country and makes fine bows in the French tradition.

Asked what goes into a gold-medal winning bow, he says: “Excellent materials first.”

He uses a red Brazilian wood, pernambuco, which has been the wood of choice for bows since the 1700s for its “beauty, density and ability to hold a curve”. He also uses Mongolian horse hair, ebony, abalone shell, ivory, lizard skin and silver or gold.

Each bow takes about a week to make and retails from about €3,000 to €10,000.

“There’s always a market for good bows,” he says, “though I probably wouldn’t be kept going by the Irish market. I send bows all over the world.”

He makes bows for both classical and traditional musicians. Now in his early 40s, he had been working as a gardener and tree surgeon when he went to New Zealand eight years ago.

There he got work repairing and restoring violins, which brought him into contact with Irish bow-maker Noel Burke, also based in Co Mayo.

He returned to Mayo in 2002, visited Mr Burke and learned how to make bows over the following three years. “Now I’m not fit for anything else,” he says, laughing.

Although he plays the fiddle, he says it is not necessary to be able to play musical instruments to make a bow.“Winning this, well, it’s good for the reputation. It’s an indication that you have half an inkling about what you’re doing. It also indicates Ireland produces unique, quality craftsmanship.”

Laura Magahy, chairwoman of the Craft Council of Ireland, congratulated Mr Leahy.

“Ireland has a long heritage in the craft of musical-instrument making and this international award is a testament to Gary’s skill and craftsmanship.”