Handcrafted Irish Boards

CRAFTED BY ANDRÚ MAC GIOLLA Rí

Every board here started as a tree within a few miles of the workshop in Co. Longford — storm-fallen, cleared, or taken down for another reason, and headed for firewood until I got to it. I collect the timber, mill it, dry it in small batches, and make each board by hand.

Most are end grain — cut so the knife goes between the fibres rather than across them, which is easier on your blade and heals over rather than scarring. Others are single slabs where the grain was worth leaving alone. Because every board comes from a particular tree, no two are the same, and I can tell you where yours came from.

End Grain Chopping Boards

from €200

Charcuterie & Serving Boards

from €45

Personalised Boards

from €75

Gift Vouchers

from €25

Our Story

woodmill sawing logosol F2+

I was given a woodworking set as a child and never really stopped. What started as a hobby turned into collecting timber other people had written off — storm-fallen trees, estate clearances, old furniture — and finding out what was inside it.

Most of what I use would otherwise have been firewood. Spalted beech especially: the dark veining that makes it worth looking at only forms in timber that’s been down a while, which is exactly the wood a sawmill won’t touch.

Twenty years of craft fairs later, I still mill everything myself. It’s the only way to know what you’re selling.

Benefits Of Using Our Chopping Boards

Large Edge Grain Board

Kinder to knives. End grain boards are cut so the blade slides between the wood fibres rather than across them. Your knives stay sharp longer and the board closes over the cut rather than scarring.

Hygiene. Research at UC Davis found that bacteria introduced to a wooden surface migrate into the wood and die off rather than transferring back onto food, while plastic boards scored by knife cuts hold bacteria in the grooves and are harder to clean.

They last. A hardwood board that’s washed, dried and oiled will outlive you. When it eventually looks tired, a sand and a re-oil brings it back — which is not something you can say for plastic.

Freshly sawn Irish Beech

Nothing here is bought in from a timber yard. The wood comes from trees that came down locally — storms, estate clearances, trees that had to go — and would mostly have ended up as firewood.

I collect it, mill it, and stack it to dry in small batches. That takes time, which is why the range changes as different timber becomes ready rather than being the same thing year round.

It also means each board is tied to a particular tree, in a particular place, at a particular time.

Sustainable Woodworking

FAQs

5.0 average from 8 reviews

“BEAUTIFUL irish product - no glue, no plastic, excellent simple design. What's not to like?"

— Diane L · December 2025

“Every board is unique. Prompt and efficient delivery.”

— Aidan M · October 2025

“Beautifully made chopping board, a piece of art in my kitchen!!”

— Roslyn T · November 2025

“Excellent, from order to delivery it was perfect, highly recommend.”

— William F · June 2025

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Andrú Mac Giolla Rí sanding a wooden chopping board by Bespoke Boards