This website is dedicated to the various types of lace making practiced in Ireland, to practitioners, groups and associations involved in teaching lace making and preserving the tradition. You will find here information about events and resources available.
In June 2023, we have applied for funding via the Creative Communities on a Shared Island programme, strand 2. In October, we found out that we were one of the nine projects selected .
The project focuses on supporting collaboration and exchanges between lacemaker groups and heritage institutions on the island of Ireland, and is led by Limerick City and County Council. The partners in the project are two voluntary groups – Friends of Lace Limerick and the South Armagh Lace Collective-, the Limerick Museum, the Armagh County Museum and the Cork Public Museum. The long term goal is to create and promote a lace trail through the majority of historical lacemaking centres on the island of Ireland.
Friends of Lace Limerick and the South Armagh Lace Collective are two groups of lacemakers based in Limerick and Armagh respectively. Limerick lace and Carrickmacross lace have a series of similarities – they are both embroidery on net, they originate in the 1820s and they are both part of Ireland’s intangible cultural heritage.
Friends of Lace are a Limerick-based group of lace makers formed in 2017 with the mission to bring Limerick lace back to public attention by contributing to the preservation, documentation and research on existing artefacts in museums and private collections, creating teaching resources and supporting novel interpretations and uses of Limerick lace. The group are working closely with Limerick Museum and other cultural organisations in Limerick to enhance the visibility of lace making as a traditional craft with great potential.
The South Armagh Lace Collective is based in the area around Culloville and Crossmaglen in South Armagh, which has a longstanding tradition of making Carrickmacross lace. This group formed in 2018 to safeguard a rich heritage which was at risk of getting lost due to declining numbers of people who have the knowledge of the heritage and the skills of lace-making in the area. This exquisite lace is the oldest of the Irish needle laces and dates to 1821. It was first introduced to the Culloville area by Miss Reed, the sister of the local landlord who built a school on the outskirts of village to teach the local women how to make lace. Essentially, Culloville is the early seat of Carrickmacross Lace and the wider area became known as centre of excellence for lacemaking.
The two groups came up with the idea of a lace trail, that would map places of lace interest both in their localities, and across the island of Ireland, back in 2019. The pandemic interrupted the mutual visits, but the connections between the two groups continued online. International experience shows that people interested in lace have a much broader interest in lace history and lace techniques than the particular type of lace they are making. The availability of such a lace trail has both national and international tourism potential and would encourage the organisation of lace tours throughout the island of Ireland.
For the duration of the project (2023-2025), we will be organising pop-up exhibitions, presentations, demonstrations and lacemaking classes), as well as mutual visits .
The Laces of Ireland digital platform will be further developed to include a Laces of Ireland Trail map. An all-Ireland lace trail that will include the permanent collections and lacemaking community groups available to welcome visitors, as well as a joint calendar of events.
In time, we are planning to build a digital catalogue of historic and contemporary lace pieces and expand the website with a section dedicated to oral histories related to lace making and lace artefacts.
This project is funded by Creative Ireland’s Creative Communities on a Shared Island Scheme, and Limerick City and County Council through Creative Ireland Limerick.
