Course Description
Join us at Síolta Chroí for a unique, interesting and very useful/practical workshop on Scything with expert Chris Hayes!
What to expect?
- An introduction the scythe and name the parts of the scythe and learning how to use an Austrian scythe. You can bring your own tradition scythe along if you want, but the focus will be on the Austrian scythe. There will be Austrian Scythes for sale on the day.
- A talk about the history of the scythe from an Irish perspective and the effect of the industrial revolution on the production of scythes
- Learning about mowing technique how to stand properly and the movement needed to mow effectively so that back ache is avoided
- Learn how to sharpen the blade and blade peening
- Learning about progressive grass management and how to properly cut and dry the material at hand, from grass to cereals and other fibrous plants
- Time for participants to ask questions on concerns or particular challenges they have on a particular area of land
Your Facilitator
Chris worked as a private forester for ten years and after many bone rattling hours spent working with a petrol strimmer he was desperate for a viable alternative. He first took out his grandfather’s old scythe, the traditional curved scythe of old with a heavy stone ground blade that he vainly rubbed with a cigar shaped sharpening stone to put an edge on it. Once he started swinging it he soon realised that this was not going to replace the strimmer, no matter how much he willed it to! Then he was put in touch with Simon Fairlie in the UK, who listened patiently and then dispatched an Austrian Schrockenfux scythe with a 60cm grass blade.
On opening the box he could sense that what he was holding was a weapon of grass destruction! The blade was thin, lightweight and razor sharp, and the snath- the long wooden part that the handles fix to- was also light and made from quality ash. He followed the instructions carefully on how to set the scythe up and then made my way out to one of my small grass paddocks. From the first satisfying stroke of the scythe he knew he had found a tool that is perfectly suited to the job and to the operator. Since the Spring of 2008 he has completed a teacher training course in 2010 with Simon Fairlie.
He’s been selling scythes and teaching courses since 2012, first at a market in Wexford and then at different sites around the country, most recently at The Irish National Heritage Park and at Irish Seed Savers in Co. Clare.
In 2010 he brought a team of Irish Scythers to the Scythe Fair in Sommerset in England and one of our members, Dennis Shannon, finished second in the individual mowing competition!
Austrian Scythe
Schrockenfux have been hand forging scythes since 1540, the finished product is a high quality steel blade that is easy to keep sharp, they are lighter than traditional scythes and they are easy to adjust to suit the person using the scythe.
The basic techniques needed to learn how to mow effectively with a scythe can be taught over the course of a day and improved on over a lifetime. An understanding of how to sharpen the blade effectively becomes clear as you hone your mowing technique and while peening a scythe blade requires more time it is not a complicated process.
Check out www.scythe.ie for more information.
Date: Saturday 4th July 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Síolta Chroí Carrickmacross Monaghan (eircode available after booking)
Lunch: will be provided. Please get in touch if you have special diet requirements.
A note of our Pay Scale
A balance we constantly seek to achieve at Síolta Chroí is making our offerings affordable while also covering the cost of running and paying our excellent facilitators a fair wage. We have three tiers: supporter, regular, and inclusive. The supporter tier will cover the extra cost of those who require the inclusive tier to participate. We are trusting people to pay what they can afford, and asking those who work for an organisation that will benefit from this educational experience, to pay the highest end of the scale, if possible. If the lower end of the scale is prohibitive for any individual please email gareth@sioltachroi.ie and ask for the scholarship form.
We look forward to seeing you at Síolta Chroí !
