Coopering

Coopering is the traditional process of making watertight containers out of separate pieces of wood called staves. This is a highly skilled craft and was much in demand in Ireland in times past. Traditionally, coopers were apprenticed, studying under a master cooper for a considerable time, until they had learnt the craft sufficiently and were able to work independently.

The craft flourished when huge numbers of coopers were at work. In the cities and towns, the brewers, distillers, provision merchants and butter merchants all employed coopers. Each product demanded a container of different type, depending on what materials were being stored, be they liquid or solids.

Casks needed to be strong, and as spirits would run through the slightest flaw in a joint, the cooper had to be attentive during construction. Each container had to take internal and external pressures for the duration of its life.

The country cooper had a different customer, mainly farmers who required churns (for making butter), butter tubs, piggins (small wooden pails), noggins (small vessels), buckets, cools for gathering milk, washing tubs and a variety of other vessels.

Coopers were often ‘journeymen’ who travelled around the country, working in different places, until they decided to move on or work became scarce. Depending on where a cooper was working, he used different types of wood accordingly, and would modify his vessels design to the regional variation. A good deal of the wood used was recycled from old vessels. Old whiskey barrels were favoured because they would give a pleasant flavour to butter made in churns and stored.

Sadly today, the craft of coopering has all but died out in Ireland. This is due largely to the widespread use of aluminium casks and plastic containers. Thankfully, the cooper’s work can still be seen in museums, private collections and on display in many Irish pubs!