The sound of the spinning wheel has been part of the music of rural Ireland for generations. And it’s a sound that has been an important part of life for the Shiels family in Carndonagh through the years. Johnny Shiels is a third-generation spinning wheel maker.

Johnny is a third-generation spinning wheel maker. His grandfather, James, was making spinning wheels back in the 1940s, using timber washed ashore on the beaches around his native Inishowen.

Each spinning wheel is a fine piece of craftmanship, while also being fully functional. The work of the Shiels family is widely-known, and has been featured in the book, ‘Ireland’s Traditional Crafts’. RTÉ also featured the Shiels family in an episode of their award-winning traditional crafts series, ‘Hands’.