I first met Ian in 2006 as I was being shown around Joinery thinking of doing the Boatbuilding course.  Seeing the famous toolbox, I assured Ian that I could never be competent enough to make one of them.  He categorically guaranteed that I would be.

So I signed up for the course, a 47 year old nervously taking up a new career and desperate to do the thing to the very best of my ability.  At one point, stressed and nervous (and some White Coat Syndrome), I was crouched over the bench with a saw, spending far too long dithering over the next move.  Ian crept up behind me and absolutely leathered the bench with a mallet.  Scared the bejesus out of me and I put a deep scar in the bit of wood I was torturing.  Ian showed me how to repair the damage, but more than that, he showed me that I should relax, it wasn't a matter of life and death.  If your instructor could gleefully provoke mistakes, then I could allow myself to make them accidentally.  It changed my whole attitude to the course and I began to enjoy it tremendously.  I'd like to think it was brilliant man-management on Ian's part...though there was always the possibility that he was a psychotic so and so...

He remained a friend and mentor for many years.

Thanks Ian.

Gerard O'Brien