Liam Quirke is an award winning Woodturner living in Naas, Co. Kildare and has been working with wood for over 50 years. Liam had a love of trees from a very young age and was destined to work with wood. He began his career as an apprentice cabinet maker in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. He then worked as a cabinetmaker with Hicks of Dublin making reproduction furniture and restoring period furniture.

Liam decided to turn to teaching and education in the mid 1970's, training as a Woodwork Teacher. During this time, he taught in second level schools in Dublin and Co. Kildare. In his varied career in second and third level, Liam delivered programmes in Cabinetmaking, Joinery, Marquetry and Design in Wood, until he retired from the education sector in 2014 to return to his first love of working with wood.

Liam now uses his creativity and long-standing experience in woodworking to make unique wood turned pieces in native Irish woods. He specialises in the creation of pieces incorporating the traditional skills of woodturning, carving, inlaying, texturing and pyrography.

Awards:
2018 Overall award, Irish Woodturners Guild National Seminar, Limerick.
2022 Artistic award, Irish Woodturners Guild National Seminar, Monaghan.
2022 Winner of the Green Belt Forestry competition to celebrate the Natural Beauty of Irish Oak.
2023 People's choice award, Irish Woodturners Guild National Seminar, Monaghan.
2024 People's choice award, Irish Woodturners Guild National Seminar, Tullamore.

Exhibitions:
2024 Irish Woodturners Guild Turning Turns 40' touring exhibition March to November: Hunt Museum, Limerick; National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny; RDS Horse Show week; Craft Northern Ireland; Association of Woodturners of Great Britain International Seminar; Irish Woodturners Guild National Seminar; Leitrim Design House.
‘Expressions in Wood' exhibition:
Library & Cultural Centre, Naas, 19-30 November.