The Moonshiners (part 1)

"Gather up the pots and the old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, the barley and the bran,
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising...Barney!"

So goes the traditional Irish song "The Hills of Connemara." It tells the timeless tale of illicit booze-making, running from the authorities, and bribery. Inspired by this and other songs of Poitín, especially "The Rare Old Mountain Dew," my current project is a set of moonshiners. This set will consist of four pieces: Two happy moonshiners, one whiskey still, and a stern-looking excise man (aka a revenuer to our own Southern Highlanders.)

To add weight to each figure's base, I've designed them with a barrel, jug, or sack of grain by the feet. At this point they're still pretty rough, but they should look fine after sanding and finishing. This set will be a 1st birthday present for my friend's son Murphy.

(Also, Happy New Year!)