Corkman: Ill health put paid to my travels - but I hope to send my doll on adventures instead

SEAMUS the cloth doll was born to roam. Made in the West Cork village of Goleen, he has set out to see the world.

His maker, Owen Kelly, was born with wanderlust, but ill health has put paid to that for now. So he explained: “I decided to send Seamus out into the world on my behalf.

“Due to a spinal condition I got after lockdown, my mobility has been impaired and I am unable to travel as I used to. It takes up all my energy to get as far as Bantry these days.

I do come up with some madcap ideas at times, and the idea of making Seamus was to send him out into the world and experience it on my behalf.

“I am optimistic by nature and my wife Kate agreed it was not one of my more stupid ideas, so I am looking forward to seeing what Seamus will get up to.”

Owen’s daughter Mair Kelly has taken Seamus to Cork city and on to Dublin, and his other daughter in Galway and son in Shannon are also taking him in. 

“Then he will go on to other family members and beyond,” said Owen

Making cloth dolls is an unusual hobby?

“I am a member of various online stitching groups,” said Owen, “and since I made Seamus I have had offers to host him from places like Spain, the UK, Finland, Italy, and the Czech Republic, to name but a few.

The idea is that whoever hosts Seamus will bring him around and take photos to document where he’s at and what he’s been up to, then post them onto his Facebook page.

“That way I get to wander through his adventures, albeit virtually, and hopefully others will enjoy seeing his adventures too. This spinal condition has slowed me right down, but when one door closes another one opens and there is a silver lining in all of this.”

Owen’s ill health has a silver lining.

“I have always loved stitching, but previously I was too busy to give it much time, it was more of a hobby really, but since my injury I have been really enjoying spending hours on stitching and creating, time just passes away happily as I do it.

I firmly believe in creative energy, I get an incredible kick out of creating things and I think most people do, whether it be baking a loaf of bread, making a piece of art or craft, or writing a poem. This is where people find a tremendous amount of peace.

Owen grew up in Guildford in Surrey, and was introduced to the art of stitching and embroidery as a child.

“I have been stitching since I was five years old. I am a fifth generation stitcher. My grandmother lived with us when I was a child and I loved to spend hours with her, just the two of us, stitching away together.

“I recall her telling me amazing family stories as she was doing embroidery and I loved watching her create and learning from her. I have great childhood memories of being with her in her sewing room surrounded by pieces of tapestries and embroideries, and of her showing me bits of work handed down though the generations of the family, even one which dated from 1750!

“I was the youngest of three boys, so my mother and grandmother were happy somebody in the family was taking up the mantle of keeping the family tradition of this craft going.

“Of course, once it got out that I enjoyed sewing I got teased by the other boys at school, so I kept my hobby a bit quiet. In those days sewing was considered the preserve of females, and even now in my online stitching groups the majority of people enjoying it still seem to be women.”

When he was a teenager, Owen suddenly found a way to be cool.

“One of my brothers became a member of a biker gang. His mate was named ‘Bones’ and when he discovered I could stitch, he asked if I could make a patch for his biker jacket with BONES stitched onto it. 

The other members of the gang were soon seeking out my services and I was out, loud and proud as a stitcher!

Owen joined several online groups through platforms such as Facebook where he shares his work with a global community of others with a passion for stitching. They post pictures of their latest work , but such was the reaction to Seamus that Owen decided he warranted a Facebook page all to himself.

He created Seamus out of scraps of cloth stitched onto denim. His style inspiration was Jimi Hendrix, infused with a dash of his own personal colourful bohemian vibe. Seamus has a miniature red hat similar to the one often sported by his creator.

“I love stitching on denim for many reasons but also that it’s tough and hard-wearing, so I made this denim Seamus,” said Owen. 

My hopes for him are to promote creativity, sustainability and compassion for our diverse cultures.

“I made him small and light so he could fit into a padded envelope and he is stuffed with synthetic fibre so as not to be restricted by some places he might go. I also stitched my email address on his back. If he’s worth €10, I would be surprised!

“Whoever would like to have him can hold on to him for a while, for as long as they like really, then post him in a jiffy bag on to the next person.”

Owen has been “blown away” by the interest Seamus has generated.

“I have already been contacted by all sorts of people, for example a willow weaver and a teacher who would like to host him, and I hope that the adventures of Seamus will provide a window to the world and the fascinating people who inhabit it.”

He named the doll Seamus O’Comanssyv- ‘Come and See’ - “which I thought would be apt for his wandering spirit. Seamus is like a kind of ‘tribal talking stick’. Whoever is holding him gets to talk, show us a piece of their lives, and thus encouraging creativity and communication.

“We are all used to being talked at, but we don’t as regular people get the chance these days to be listened to. Maybe creating Seamus is also just the act of reaching out and extending the hand of friendship,” said Owen.

To kickstart his world tour, Owen took Seamus on a little jaunt down the road to the Mizen Head, the most south-westerly point of Ireland.

On the way to Skibbereen to catch the bus to Cork, Seamus also stopped in for a cup of tea to the home of textile artist Loretta Fitzgerald.

“She makes the most amazing baskets out of beachcombed plastic and she even made Seamus his own miniature tea set when he popped in for a cuppa and a chat about her Australian homeland and some of her own travels and adventures.

In Cork city, Seamus dropped into the home of Patrick Dorgan, the Special Olympics champion, brother of the poet Theo. In Dublin, Seamus went to Temple bar, had his first view of the Liffey, traversed the Ha’penny bridge, and went to see Dublin Castle. He is soon to be packaged off to Shannon and Limerick.

Owen added: “Seamus is a bit of a hippy, roaming around to promote love and peace, and though I may never see him again, that’s OK.

I hope the people who host him will make the most out of having him in their lives for a while, and through him give us a glimpse into their world.