DFA Staff Pick: Making Replicas of St Patrick’s Grave
Date: 03/03/2023 09:16
Shamrocks, Slemish, Craic and…gravestones? The last item on that list may not be what first comes to mind when you think of 17th March, but Jimmy Greene meets one enterprising former journalist who saw a gap in the market for souvenir gravestones.
After returning to Northern Ireland after an esteemed career with the Associated Press, Lesley Hanna had a brainwave following a visit to St Patrick’s Grave at Down Cathedral. Unable to find a souvenir to bring home to his wife, he decided to start a small business making miniature ornamental gravestones. The process is simple: ground Mourne granite and plaster of Paris are mixed; poured into a mould shaped like the Saint’s grave; and left to set for half an hour. Hanna’s assistant, Alan Leahy, then polishes and paints the gravestones. Once the mementos are ready, they're put on sale for visitors to snap up.
The replicas were bought up by visitors. Some were brought to places such as England, Scotland and even America. Not bad going for a small operation!
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here.