In this episode of Celtic Soul, we meet Tom King, the blacksmith known as An Gobha — The Smith. Once a design engineer, Tom’s hands now shape iron in rhythm with the old ways, his forge glowing along one of the five ancient roads leading to the Hill of Tara. This is the land where Queen Maeve once passed, where myth still breathes through the stones, and where Tom works in harmony with the gods and goddesses of the land.

Forging, for Tom, is more than craft — it’s communion. He speaks of the ancient blacksmith’s blessing, of the trust warriors once placed in the hands of their smiths, and of the deep responsibility of shaping what protects and sustains life. Since boyhood, he’s felt called to honour these ancient cycles of creation, reading the signs of Bealtaine and harvest, watching nature for clues of what’s to come.

His passion and devotion have brought recognition too — his iron-cast Brigid’s Cross won the Overall Product Award at Ireland’s 2023 National Craft Showcase, just as the nation celebrated its first Brigid’s Day. It felt like the saint herself — patron of blacksmiths — was smiling through the flames.

Visitors to Tom’s forge step into something timeless. They’re invited to create their own piece with his tools and share in a banquet of welcome, echoing the ancient feasts once held at Tara. Through the ring of the hammer and the glow of the coals, Tom brings a living mystery to life — one that connects the seen and unseen, the human and divine.

This episode is a journey into the heart of the forge, where craft becomes prayer, and the spirit of Ireland’s ancestors still guides the fire.

Who is Tom King:
Since turning his hand from design engineering to blacksmith, the ancient ancestors have come alive through Tom’ s expression of pure celtic soul – generosity, hospitality, education, hearty laughter and storytelling that engages you completely and wholeheartedly.

An Gobha was created by Tom King as a means to combine his love of traditional blacksmith forge metal working and artistry, with the opportunity to bring to life the people of Ireland’s Ancient east through theatre, education, humour and fun.

Based in a working forge on Tom’s extensive farm estate, visitors are treated to not only a demonstration of metal working, but also the opportunity to work the metal themselves whilst enjoying the myths, legends, and stories of the daily lives of the real people who inhabited Ireland’s Ancient east through the ages.

Instagram: @an_gobha

Email: angobha@gmail.com

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