Ironmonger Tom King, also known as 'An Gobha' (Irish for "the blacksmith"), heats metal for tourist Terri Winter, 68, to hammer in his forge, as her friend Darlene Molitor, 67, from Minnesota in the U.S., looks on, as part of his immersive ancient Celtic experience, in Bohermeen, Ireland, September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
HILL OF TARA, Ireland (Reuters) -On a farm that straddles one of the five ancient roadways that radiate from the Hill of Tara, once the seat of the high kings of Ireland, a master blacksmith is offering visitors a hands-on glimpse into the country's Celtic past.
Tom King or 'An Gobha, the Blacksmith of the Boyne Valley' to his guests, traded in a 20-year career as a design engineer during the COVID-19 pandemic to take visitors beyond the static tombs and monuments of the 6,000-year-old remains that make up one of Ireland's best-known national monuments.
