The Irish Makers Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Nathan chats with Ohla about her journey to Ireland from Ukraine, and how she found the Irish cosplay community. Ohla has since returned home to Ukraine since we recorded the podcast.

About Ohla Zakharova 

My name is Olha, but in cosplay community I am known as Oliver Chest. I am from Ukraine and my hobby is, you guessed it, creating costumes! I was a gamer since early childhood, I started playing my first games with my father as early as 4. Fictional worlds always amazed me, they were my source of inspiration as well as a way of escapism. I wanted to bring something from those fantasy realms into reality, that's when I found out about cosplay. I started creating some accessories, swords even. My cosplay debut was in 2016 at Kiev Comic Con and my first costume was Wendy from Gravity Falls. Though it wasn't too complicated it was a success. I got excited and decided to get into crafting. For me, creating a costume is a challenge, a riddle I want to solve. How can I make this detail? What adjustments should I make? How do I make it look accurate? My biggest pride for now is my Garrus costume from Mass Effect game series. It took me about 3 years to make! There was a lot of learning, going back and forth, scraping old ideas and pieces and remaking them. And finally I got something I was satisfied with!

• https://www.instagram.com/Oliver_chest

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBSsNl2OoE7XFGxHj-TAaw)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (https://beacons.page/whykay)
• Special thanks to Aoife Wheeler (Social Media) and Michael Twomey (AV) on the day
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats
• Community Partner: Coding Grace (https://codinggrace.com)

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

Also find us on:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - https://irishmakerspodcast.ie

Our next guest is Kelvin Feeney, Kelvin is a Professional Leatherworker and costume designer that has worked on some of the biggest movies in Hollywood and the BBC. From Pirates of Caribbean to the new hit show from Apple Foundation !  Nathan chats to Kelvin about leather working, costume design and the Irish film industry !   

You can find Kelvin at the links below !  

🏡 http://www.kelvinfeeneydesign.com/Kelvin_Feeney/About.html

🔪 https://www.instagram.com/kelvinfeeney/?hl=en

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBSsNl2OoE7XFGxHj-TAaw)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (https://beacons.page/whykay)
• Special thanks to Aoife Wheeler (Social Media) and Michael Twomey (AV) on the day
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats
• Community Partner: Coding Grace (https://codinggrace.com)

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

Also find us on:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - https://irishmakerspodcast.ie

This episode we are talking to representatives from maker spaces from all over the island of Ireland. 

Benchspace Cork - Maeve Murphy

Benchspace is an open access factory offering industry grade tools, technology and business support for professional makers & creative start-ups. We know there’s more to running a creative business than being creative. Our programmes give creatives the tools they need to turn an idea or skill into a successful enterprise. Through a series of enterprise workshops, peer networking, mentorship and industry-engagement opportunities, benchspace helps creatives navigate all aspects of developing a creative livelihood

Maeve is a passionate advocate for Irish craft and design, Maeve brings with her a breadth of experience spanning arts management and practice.  Maeve is a Board member of the Design and Craft Council Ireland.

• benchspacecork.ie
• instagram.com/benchspacecork
• facebook.com/BenchspaceCork
• twitter.com/BenchspaceCork
• linkedin.com/company/benchspacecork

Farset Labs - Artemiy Kondratiev

Farset Labs Hackerspace is a community funded and volunteer operated charity, opened in 2012 as a place for creativity and technological tinkering. We’re open to everyone, no matter what you do, and we welcome people from all walks of life to use our space, come to our events and get involved with the maker community in Northern Ireland.

• farsetlabs.org.uk
• twitter.com/farsetlabs
• meetup.com/farsetlabs

Art is a self-taught professional in the technology industry with a specialisation in cyber security, and long-time hackerspace member - learning, making and sharing in Belfast.

• linkedin.com/in/artemiy-kondratiev
• twitter.com/awflwafl

Fab Lab Maker Hub, Leitrim - Stuart Lawn 

Fab Lab Maker Hub is a digital fabrication training facility providing individuals and creative industries with access to a wide range of digital fabrication technologies such as 3D Printers, Laser Cutters, Vinyl Cutters, CNC and Open Source Electronics. Founded in 2014 by Stuart Lawn, Leo Scarff and Ali Farrell, the Fab Lab has delivered hands-on workshops and digital fabrication training courses across the North West and works closely with the regional enterprise offices, schools and libraries to promote creativity and innovation in art, craft and design.  

Stuart worked as an audio engineer in the music industry in London before moving to Ireland in 1999 where he co-founded a business providing equipment, system design and support to the film and TV industries. After moving to Leitrim in 2012 his life long love of tinkering with technology led him to the Fab Lab movement that was starting in Ireland. This drove him to create the first Fab Lab in the North West of Ireland, which itself was only the third Fab Lab in the Republic. 

• makerhub.ie
• twitter.com/fablabmh
• facebook.com/fablabmh
• Youtube: https://tiny.cc/makerhub 
• Podcast: https://anchor.fm/fablabmakerhub

This episode we have 3 Makers talking about their experiences making in isolation during Covid-19. If you have experiences about making/crafting in isolation, share it with us in the comments below or on Twitter or Instagram.  

Note: Apologies about the sound quality.

OUR GUESTS

Ian Carey: Hi, my name is Ian! I am a professional engineer and maker from Ireland. I spend most of my spare time making all kinds of things and writing about them. You can find videos about some of the stuff I make here. Check out my website if you want to see more of what I do. If you like my work, consider supporting me on Patreon. 

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWigmcpi0rkFe0nwMOFwRg
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/iancarey/
• https://www.patreon.com/careyi3

Namrata Chaudhary: I'm Namrata. I'm a senior systems engineer at Zendesk by profession but a huge creative person at heart. I love to bake, knit and occasionally paint and do jute weaving. I moved to Ireland in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and it was really hard to socialise and make friends or meet new people during that time. I took on more serious knitting projects at the time to keep me occupied. I can be very goal oriented so it worked out well for me. I also lost my grandmother later in the year, and she was the one who taught me how to knit and cook. A part of me feels very connected to her every time I work on a project, however small. Baking, on the other hand, has been extremely rewarding for me (and the people around me, let's be honest haha). I was inspired by Claire Saffiz's words "There are no “just cooks” out there, I am convinced. There are only bakers who haven’t been converted yet. 

• https://namc.in

Heather Reid: I've been crafting on and off for several years. My mum is a seamstress so we've always been working on some kind of project when we had the chance. My husband and I had worked on a few pieces of furniture upcycling before this too. Lockdown saw us take on our biggest projects to date though. This was largely because we had much more time on our hands but it gave us a welcome distraction from the news and doom scrolling too.

• https://twitter.com/heather_reiduff

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler | Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee
• Music: GurtyBeats
• Website: irishmakerspodcast.ie

In this episode we are fortunate enough to have 3 professional prop makers with us to discuss the world of setting up a prop making business and working on film and tv.

Our guests

• Christine Harold & David Flynn from The Props Factory: We are two kids who grew up in the 80’S watching too many monster films. We worked hard and got through art college where we met lots of other talented people who we are still lucky enough to work with today. Having been lucky enough to have learned from generations of prop makers and sculptors over our many years in the industry, we now have a wealth of knowledge that we love to share with other makers.
  https://propsfactory.com / https://www.instagram.com/thepropsfactory / https://www.facebook.com/the.Props.Factory / https://twitter.com/PropsFactory / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBHHxYxYMA6KH9tLVNzixZA 
• Bryan Campbell from Arachnid FX and Poly-Props: Co-Owner of Arachnid Fx and co director of Poly-Props EU. First started making props in 2010, worked on props and sets for Dublin Comic Con.  Formed Arachnid Fx  alongside Karl Walsh and Mark Maher August 2018. First film work was January 2019 til present, mostly alongside Odyssey Studios.  Arachnid FX retailing sfx materials from hobbyists to film industry professionals.  Also Prop rental(currently working on a catalogue- we've a lot of props to log) - https://www.arachnidfx.com / https://www.poly-props.eu /  https://www.facebook.com/arachnidfx / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCskEMV4MSEfGfqeNWRzAeWA 

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler (@craftynathan)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (@whykay)
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

• Instagram - instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast
• Twitter -  twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - irishmakerspodcast.ie

Welcome to our first episode of The Irish Makers Podcast! We will be discussing the world of conventions and cosplay, from humble costumes and sewing, to 7 foot behemoth dragons. 

Our guests 

• Marie-Therese a.k.a. Empty Cosplay: She started cosplaying in 2018. Her first cosplay was Maiev Shadowsong (pronounced My-ev) from the online game World of Warcraft, which won the Best Craftsmanship award at Dublin Comic Con: Anime Edition 2018. Since then she has won numerous awards for her cosplays and has been asked to be a guest and judge at conventions throughout Ireland.
  https://www.instagram.com/empty_cosplay / https://facebook.com/EmptyCosplay 
• Meg a.k.a Without a Stitch Cosplay She began 'officially' cosplaying 2014, however feels she cosplayed her whole life before she knew what cosplay was. She started making her own Halloween costumes when she was 8. In 2001, after completing a Bachelors of Art in theatre and costume design, she moved to Ireland and continued to pursue her creative passions which often focus on sewing and fibre arts. She has judged cosplay competitions in Ireland, including Dublin Comic Con, since 2015. - https://linktr.ee/withoutastitch
• Eimear O’Connor a.k.a Obsidian Dragon Creations  She started cosplaying in 2015 and enjoys combining her passion for engineering with the costume creation process. Her first cosplay was Chell from Portal 2 but she soon became better known for her dragon quadsuit of Cynder from The Legend of Spyro. Since then she has added Unipey the Na’vi and Viserion the dragon from Game of Thrones to her collection. - https://www.youtube.com/c/ObsidianDragonCreations / https://www.instagram.com/obsidiandragoncreations 

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST 

• Host: Nathan Wheeler (@craftynathan)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (@whykay)
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

• Instagram - instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast
• Twitter -  twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - irishmakerspodcast.ie

From Satellites to Salvage Artists we cover all aspects of making, right here at the Irish Makers Podcast. Join us as we explore how Crafters, Makers, Builders and Hobbyists explore their passion and create amazing items !   

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee 
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats 

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com  

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqgmNS8RuRSOt_SZpuwY9Q
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast

We had an amazing time at Dublin ComicCon Summer Edition 2022 at The Convention Centre Dublin. It took place on Sat Aug 6 - Sun Aug 7. Nathan was the moderator of Cosplay Makers of Ireland Panel at The Geek Ireland Panel Room on Sun Aug 7.

"The Irish Maker Podcast interviews some of the most active cosplayers in Ireland, asking them listener submitted questions about making, and all things cosplay!"

• Emily Waters & Jay McKeown - @TeamEmeraldCOS
• Marie-Thérèse - @Empty_Cosplay
• Olha Zakharova - @Oliver_Chest

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBSsNl2OoE7XFGxHj-TAaw)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (https://beacons.page/whykay)
• Special thanks to Aoife Wheeler (Social Media) and Michael Twomey (AV) on the day
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats
• Community Partner: Coding Grace (https://codinggrace.com)

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

Also find us on:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - https://irishmakerspodcast.ie

What a fantastic comeback with Dublin Maker and all the Makers who were showcasing to so many visitors on Sat Jul 23 at Merrion Square. Well done to the Dublin Maker team! 👏 

In this episode we talked to a few Makers about their projects and what they do. You can also find the video version of this podcast on our Youtube channel.

1. MakerShop.ie
2. TOG Hackerspace - Repair Cafe
3. MakerMeet.ie
4. 3D Animatronic Droids & EIRSAT-1
5. David from Dublin Maker talking about EIRSAT-1
6. Creative Spark
7. Mechatrons
8. JellyLab
9. Tomas from Dublin Maker
10. The "ç" Button by François
11. National Print Museum
12. Saraden Designs Millinery Atelier
13. Moonlight Candles
14. Arrow Craft
15. From Fibre to Felt
16. Adrian Finlay
17. Coffee Pods Second Life

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBSsNl2OoE7XFGxHj-TAaw)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (https://beacons.page/whykay)
• Special thanks to Aoife Wheeler (Social Media) and Michael Twomey (AV) on the day
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats
• Community Partner: Coding Grace (https://codinggrace.com)

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

Also find us on:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - https://irishmakerspodcast.ie 

In this episode we are talking to Stephen Hynes about restoring retro petrol pumps.

ABOUT STEPHEN HYNES

My name is Stephen Hynes, im 32 years old, born and raised in Glasnevin, Dublin 11. A plumber by trade in a family of tradesmen in Glasnevin dating back as far as the early 1800's spanning 5 generations in the area. I started making and upcycling things 7 years ago and started with making a dog house out of pallets for our jack russell. From then on making stuff became a need to do as opposed to a want to do and  got obsessed with challenges and builds. I now stand at well over 100 projects builds ranging from my workshop, industrial steampunk lighting, antique furniture restoration, indoor and outdoor furniture/decor, bars, vintage petrol pump overhauls, even down to my fiancee's  engagement ring, which i made from two brass nuts and took over 2 years to make. Ive found something in my life that not only do i love to do but i need to do for my mental health. It keeps me calm, driven, focused and passionate about what i do no matter what im making. Ive spent countless hours on youtube studying how to do things i need tocknow before i embark on them myself, some videos ives watched easily 100 times just so i was sure i knew what i had to do i.e the engagement ring. My favourite thing to do, is build stuff for or with my family. Our most recent family project was a cool mud kitchen for our son Charlie. 

My most memorable moments are:

• Seeing Charlie and Shars faces when ive built them something cool.
• Featuring on RTE's Big DIY Challenge.
• Featuring on the late late show.
• Featuring in many newspapers and radio stations. Radio Nova were awesome!

My top five fun cool builds are

1. Shars engagement ring
2. The big bbq unit (RTE big DIY Challenge)
3. Charlies custom couch chair
4. The Guinness petrol pump
5. My workshop.

▶︎ https://instagram.com/reclaiming_the_past

ABOUT IRISH MAKERS PODCAST

• Host: Nathan Wheeler  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBSsNl2OoE7XFGxHj-TAaw)
• Production: Vicky Twomey-Lee (https://beacons.page/whykay)
• Music: GurtyBeats - https://soundcloud.com/gurtybeats
• Community Partner: Coding Grace (https://codinggrace.com)

If you are interested in showing what you make or have a story to share, drop us an email: Irishmakerpodcast@gmail.com

Also find us on:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theirishmakerspodcast/
• Twitter -  https://twitter.com/TheIrishMakersShow
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@irishmakerspodcast
• Website - https://irishmakerspodcast.ie