David Shaw-Smith
Born in Dublin in 1939, he was educated in Dublin, Scotland and emigrated to the U.S. before returning to Ireland in 1961 to work for RTÉ's nascent television division. Since 1970, he has spent most of his career as a documentary filmmaker, producing over 100 television documentaries, including the Hands series about traditional crafts for RTÉ. His films are held in the collections of the American Museum of Broadcasting and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1984, he published the photographic book Ireland's Traditional Crafts, which he revised through nationwide grassroots research for a new edition published in 2003. He has held a seat on the board of the Crafts Council of Ireland since 1987. In 1999, he founded Ceárta Inneona, Ireland's first blacksmithing school, and serves as its chairman. His awards include the Special Jury Selection at the Los Angeles International Film Festival (1993), the Jacob's Television Critics Award (1986) and the Golden Harp Award (1984) and an honorary doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin (1987). He recently received funding from The Heritage Council for an Audiovisual Irish Heritage Archive (2005). He lives in Co. Mayo.
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