Sasha
Sykes

Which place do you currently call home and where do you work on your projects?

I live and work in the very north of Carlow, below the foothills of the Wicklow mountains.  Having worked in London, New York and Dublin, I have now returned to the area where I grew up, beside family and old friends.  I built a studio during lockdown and mainly work here, although i have a small workshop in Rathmines in Dublin still too. I couldn’t quite leave the city altogether…

Do you have a favourite place in your area where you like to relax and linger?

I’m lucky to be able to walk out the back door and be in the woods in minutes. I love the concept of shinrin yoku and have always been drawn to trees. One of my earliest memories is of doing drawings and burying them in tins in the woods behind my house.

If I want to go for a bit more of a think I head up to Rathgall, a bronze age hill fort  5 minutes up the road. It was known as the fairy fort in our neighbourhood and there was always a lot of superstition around the place: it was clearly important in its heyday. It is concentric – four fabulous granite walls to perambulate, and views to die for.

If the winter weather has been getting too much, I go and meet a friend up at Shirley’s Bosca Beatha sauna where we roast up and then cool off in the Avonbeg river before heading into the Glenmalure Inn for a pint of Guinness and a plate of venison sausages.

Are there any urgent political issues or problems in your region?

Housing is a massive issue at the moment, or the lack of it. And this has become an excuse for right wing riots and anti-refugee and anti-immigration protests.  I can see the houses are being built, but it’s just not fast enough for the demand, and the pressure is informing some bad decisions in terms of locations and materials. The economy is flying but there’s nowhere for people to live!

In your opinion, what has developed well in the last 5 years – and what has not?

Farming on both counts. It’s turning slowly for the better and towards more regenerative practices, but from the bottom up rather than top down.  Grassroots movements like Farming for Nature are encouraging rather than challenging farmers, inspiring change in how we look after our land as well as provide food. But sadly overall farming is not adapting fast enough, and chemicals are still being poured onto land and into rivers having an irreversible effect. I wish the government had had the foresight to turn the whole country organic 20 years ago.

Do you know a hidden gem when it comes to local manufacturers – whether it’s arts and crafts, sustainable products or food?

I absolutely love what  Kerryann and John do at Atlantic Irish Seaweeds in Derrynane in Kerry. They have such a passion and knowledge of the sea, and lucky us we can join them for walks and food tours. They also make incredible cutlery using kelp for the handles.
Closer to home I think flower growers like Amelia Raben and Maria Ryan are doing fabulous and sustainable work in the world of floristry. I might be biased but I also love my brother’s breadboards at Bunbury Boards, where everything is handmade from gorgeous sustainable Irish woods, traceable back to the tree. At the saturday market in Carlow I’ll always pick up interesting mushrooms like blue oyster or lion’s mane from local growers Mike & Eilís at Gaelic Fungi Farms and also local cheeses including the hard sheep’s from Elizabeth Bradley at Carlow Farmhouse Cheese and her herd of Lacaune ewes.

Is there anything particularly innovative in your region? Also in comparison to other places you have already visited?

Carlow has a very rich neolithic history, with many megalthic tombs and ring forts hiding in fields locally. Brownshill Dolmen has the largest capstone in Europe, but my personal favourite is Haroldstown Dolmen near my house. They say a family of 11 lived inside it during the famine. In more recent history, 2009 saw the arrival of the largest gallery space in Ireland. Visual in Carlow Town, designed by Terry Pawson, has had some of the most exciting contemporary art shows i have ever seen from Irish and international artists.

Do you have a secret restaurant tip that you would like to share with us?

Locally in Tullow Waterlilies has brightened up our lives with unbelievable cinnamon rolls and breads. For a delicious meal Clashganny House Restaurant on the river outside Borris is hard to beat. Also, watch out for pop-up dinners from Paulssuppers in the Blackstairs neighbourhood.

Is there a local shop whose products are only available in your region?

I would say Carlow Farmers Market, which I also mentioned above … it’s very rural!

What are your 3 favourite apps that you use every day and couldn’t live without?

– Instagram
– Vestiaire
– Plantnet

Do you have any favourite newspapers or online magazines? And how do you keep up to date with politics or social and cultural issues?

I’m married to a journalist but ….
My personal favourites would include the FT and all its many creative sections and magazines, the Irish Times and the David McWilliams podcast. My son gets The Week Junior which is my kind of news so I read that cover to cover. I love the New Yorker when i can get it. I’m also a sucker for Joanne McNally & Vogue Williams’ pod ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’ which has kept me laughing the last few years.

Imagine you could be mayor for a year – what would you change?

First I’d ban pesticides and glyphosates. I’d then get everyone in the county to volunteer for a day on a farm – we all need a greater understanding of how food production should work. In the towns I’d incentivise landlords to allow empty commercial spaces to be taken over by artists, creatives and young enterprises to help kickstart creativity.

One last question: If you could choose another place to live – regardless of financial or time constraints – which one would you choose?

Oooooh, definitely in Ireland still. The weather can be a challenge but the humour and people are priceless when it comes to living full time. Around Killiney in south Dublin is pretty incredible – with a 180 degree view out to the Irish sea and the mountains behind you, yet you’re still in the capital with all it has to offer.

Or maybe a bit further out into Wicklow … along the river Glencree would be special. Or maybe even deeper into the mountains, around Luggala … Aside from that, throw me up anywhere and i think i’d be happy! Myself and my daughter Elinor did a camping road trip around the entire country over a few weeks back in 2019 & it reminded me how every place has its wonders.