Tom Hayes's skill and artistry as a Waterford Crystal master engraver helped put "Waterford" on the map. His works of art can be found everywhere from Dublin Castle to the White House to the Vatican.
Tom served a long and demanding apprenticeship with Waterford Crystal. He started in 1957 under the tutelage of Tom Caulfield, who had been with the company since its rebirth in 1947. In those days apprentice engravers were required to study in the local art school on a day-release system. The working day started at eight and ended at six and art school took up three nights a week.
It was by today's standards a very formal training in draughtsmanship, lifedrawing, figures-in-motion modelling, heraldry and calligraphy. He served a five-year apprenticeship but didn't consider himself technically proficient as an engraver for probably another 10 years and he was learning new techniques all his life.
Tom worked in a commercial environment producing commissioned work as required. However, he also had the freedom to produce the works that he chose to create. He designed his own pieces and invoked his own themes. There were two distinct aspects to his work: to reproduce existing art; and to interpret a theme in his own unique way. He considered the reproduction of Michaelangelo's Pieta as technically one of the most difficult works he had done.
He was particularly interested in interpreting Celtic and pre-Celtic mythology, because no illustrations exist from that period and he was not influenced by anything he had seen - only by what he had read. He produced two totally different interpretations of the Children of Lir story. He loved to work on themes that had never been engraved on crystal before. He portrayed the various aspects of the Irish Famine using native limestone combined with crystal. He depicted the Famine in terms of the destruction of a family unit using a sculpted dolmen on which to engrave the various scenes.
Among many high-profile commissioned works were those presented to Nelson Mandela to commemorate the ending of apartheid and the introduction of democracy to South Africa and lanterns on the theme of peace which are part of a Peace Coach which commenced a World Tour in 1996 - a journey that is to be completed in 2000. The engraved lanterns were blessed in turn by Pope John Paul II and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Both church leaders requested to meet the artist. Tom travelled to the Vatican to meet the Pope and to Lambeth Palace to meet the Archbishop.
He was a worldwide ambassador for Waterford Crystal. He toured Hong Kong and Japan and appeared on TV in both countries explaining his craft and the traditions of glassmaking in Waterford. He toured the US to promote the Waterford Crystal Tom Hayes Studio Collection and lectured at the International Glass School at Pilchuck, Seattle.
Tom's work represented the pinnacle of crystal artistry and it was appropriate that it was presented to people who had reached the pinnacle in their chosen fields, including Wimbledon champions, world-renowned golfers and GAA heroes. It was particularly appropriate that his last piece was presented to Gay Byrne to mark his last Late Late Show in May of this year.
Although he was best known nationally and internationally for his skills and artistry as a Master Engraver, Tom Hayes was a man of many parts, talents and gifts. He was an active and committed member of the Labour Party, a member of the ATGWU, PRO of the Waterford Council of Trade Unions and vice-chairman of the Waterford Harbour Board. He was a founder member of the South Eastern Health Board's employee assistance programme and was part of the team that, 20 years ago, successfully secured £1.4 million from the ICTU/FUE tripartite fund to build the original Waterford Airport.
Tom had the gift of healing which he gave to those in need without personal gain. He was a proud family man who was fair and balanced in his views and who possessed three qualities that are increasingly rare in today's materialistic world: honesty, honour and loyalty.
He died at the early age of 57 after a long and brave battle against illness. He is survived by his wife Mary, sons Tony and Karl, daughters Deirdre, Clodagh, Ashling, Mairead and Siobhan.
He summed up his attitude to life in his concluding remarks to the Pilchuck School Seattle in 1998, when he said: "I'd like to read you the Quaker Motto - the significance of this is that the original founders of the first Waterford factory, George and William Penrose, were Quakers and Waterford City still has a strong Quaker community today. I find that this motto sums up perfectly my view of life and work:
"I pass this way but once. If there is, therefore, any good I can do or any kindness I can show to my fellow man, let me not delay it, or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again."
A. O'R