"Searching for Carrickmacross Lace"...

"Happy St Patrick's Day to You All"!!! I am RE-POSTING due to my SHY return to blogging... Hmmm, the table is SET for the season, "I MUST GET THAT CAMERA TRIPOD SET" !!!
These little Irish Lasses were born here in Connecticut when Sandi McAslan lived here... 

I only bought ONE little doily at the Convent in Northern Ireland where this beautiful lace is made...I found all the other pieces of my Carrickmacross Lace here in my own little town of only 1000 residences... Each year I would find a new treasure at our little church bazaar... We do have the late Frank McCourt and his lovely wife and Frank Delaney as locals... Hmmm, I wonder if they may have donated them... I had been looking for decades for this fine lace, "What LUCK of the Irish to have found it next door"...

Carrickmacross lace has a history that reaches back into the early 1800’s when the town of Carrickmacross needed employment for its citizens, especially young women. On a honeymoon trip to Italy, Mrs. Grey Porter, from Carrickmacross and wife of the rector of a neighboring parish, was inspired by Italian lace designs. She and her hand maid learned the appliqué technique by copying the Italian work, and in 1820, established a lace making school which attracted many students. The school grew in popularity, as did the fine quality Carrickmacross lace.

Economic hardship in the 40’s and 50’s saw a decline in the demand for lace, yet production continued, though much less so, until the late 80’s. Realizing the fine quality of workmanship that would be wasted if the lace making ceased, the nuns of the St. Louis Convent established a lace making school both to employ young women in the community and to give shelter to those in need.

The great era of Irish lace ended with World War 1 in 1914, but outworkers at St. Louis Convent continued their tradition of lace making and today, Carrickmacross lace is used by designers all over the world. Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation gown, as well as Princess Diana’s wedding gown were both designed with intricate insets of Carrickmacross lace.

This showroom features several award-winning pieces, including a stunning cascade of daylilies made entirely of lace. On display, as well, are antique lace collars, christening gowns, tablecloths, napkins, and placemats. For purchase are many fine, locally handmade pieces of lacework, including placemats (€200), table runners (€700), christening gowns (€750), bonnets (€ 85), wedding veils (€400), and dainty doilies (€35-60).

Address:

Carrickmacross Lace Showroom and Shop

Main Street, Village Square, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan

T: 042 96 62506 www.carrickmacross.ie

How to get there:

From Dublin, N2 (50 miles) to Carrickmacross

From Belfast, A1 (becomes N1 at Border). At Dundalk, take R178 to Carrickmacross (70 miles.)

 

The Belleek "thistle cup" on the left is one of many that followed me home from Northern Ireland when we visited the Belleek Factory...

This is the second smallest doily they make at the St. Louis Convent in Northern Ireland... "This is the piece I brought home from my trip"... Hubby told me that the reason the road narrowed into a path was to prevent hubbies from "Turning Around and heading to the Pub"... It took us a whole day to find our destination... I had a MAP and as I navigated Hubby kept mumbling something about spending a day of his vacation looking for "A CONVENT", and I would mumble my reply of "But they are the ONLY place that makes handmade Carrickmacross Lace"!!! "We were in our 20s then and OK I can imagine it would NOT have been something he would talk about EVER AGAIN"... It was our little secret and I watched eagerly out the window as I DREAMED of the HUGE Christmas tablecloth that soon would be mine... There was a constant supply of sheep that would get in our path and once again, Hubby would mumble something about Wool to keep us warm as we Slept on the side of the path overnight looking for "A CONVENT"... We DID finally arrive and after a considerable amount of admiration for the "Masterpieces created here in this place"... I DID NOT get my Christmas Tablecloth, there would be NO envy in the ladies that would see my TJmaxx Christmas tablecloth... I had resorted down to the SMALLEST of doilies they made, it was all I could afford... Hubby waited patiently watching my every expression and as I lay my purchase in the Nuns hand, he "Upgraded me to the SECOND smallest doily they made", he said, "Here you really should get one with shamrocks"(It pays to be married to Mr. Right)  Oh I LOVE him to pieces, that was thirty something years ago and just like my little Carrickmacross Doily HE is One of My Favorite Things!!! NO... HE IS "My Favorite Thing"!!!
 

"HAPPY St Patrick's Day"!!! 
Caution:Please WEAR GREEN so the leprechaun doesn't pinch you!!!