The Irish standard., 1886-11-27
ENCOURAGE Home INDUSTRY
An Excellent Letter From the Pen Of Mr.
William Redmond, Showing How to
Build Up Irish Manufactures.
THE BELLEEK POTTERY FACTORY
Is Special and Genuine Irish Industry,
and Yet There is Comparatively Little
Interest Taken in it in Ireland.

H.. w.. 4.
ing in The Dublin Freemen of October
II, Oh the Belleek manufactory says
The best way to build up native manu-
factures in the future is to nourish and
keep going what we have at present;
and this, am very much afraid, is not
done by any means, as generally as it
should be. Take for instance, the Bel
leek Pottery Factory, which is q spe-
cial and genuine Irish industry, and yet
there is comparatively little interest
taken in it in Ireland. When the Ex-
hibition was in Dublin, some pretty
specimens OF the Be}leek work was ex-
hibited and admired on all sides. There
are in Dublin and the provinces some
few Shops where Beileek manufactures
may be seen and purchased if asked for.
Bpyond this, however, there is very little
known Of the beautiful work executed
bv the people OF the little Fernaanagh
town: and yet that work, from the point
Of art, is credit to Ireland, and might
be credit to any manufacturing centre
of The world. There is no more deli
cately beautiful ware produced than
the Belieek, and at tine same time it is
quite durable and in every respect equal
tc the wares imported from England.
Y Yet all over the country the English
ware is used; and how very few, COM
paratiyely speaking, ever ask for Bel
leek? may be told that it is dearer
than the English work, and to some eN-
tent this is no doubt, true: but if the
country were to genuinely support the
native work, Belleek, with enlarged
custom, would produce better goods
quite as cheaply as the English can be
got. If the people only realized the
great blessings that flow from the exis-
tence of a factory like the Belleek Pot
tery. | am sure that. for the sake OF
,eing able to think that they had done
something to sustain labor in the coun
try, they would even pay a few pence
1nore, if necessary, and have the salts.
faction of knowing that their money
was going to feed Woodworking Irish
men and women and children. instead
Of going to England, where the people
are well able to take care Of themselves.
It may be necessary for the peoole Of
ireland, for some time, to make little
sacrifice to set the work of manufacture
going; but, God knows, the sacrifice
will not be much, and the result will be
work for the idle, bread for the hungry,
and general help to those OF our poor
country people whose very lives depend
upon the existence of workshops like
Beleek.
1t is almost impossible to realize to
oneself how very great blessing fac
tory is. in little country place in Ire
land especially, where the land is Door,
and means Of living scanty. [ had an
opportunity of inspecting the potteries
at Belleek, last week, and so much
struck was l at the real merit of the
work that made up my mind to place
this paper before the public, in the hope
that it might have The effect Of doing
something towards stimulating a more
general support to what is one OF the
few artistic manufactures left TO Ireland
now.
There are some two hundred and
twenty men, women and children en-
ployed at the Belleelz factory
times more and sometimes less. The
efficient way in which the many differ
ent processes of manufacture are gone
through is in itself abundant proof of
the great Skill and intelligence with
which the Irish people can adapt them
selves to fine and delicate work Of this
kind. Most, indeed nearly all, Of the
employees are local people, who, by So
berness and strict attention, have mas
tered the intricacies Of the trade which
they now ply. 1t was to me and the
gentleman who so kindly showed me
over the factory, the most pleasant
sight in the world to see how cheerful
ly and cleverly such a large number of
people were engaged in turning out the
most beautiful and delicately hand
finished work: and this not in Paris Or
London, but in little Belleek, a remote
corner in the county Fermanag.a. The
whole place, with It's business-like ac-
tivity and orderly and regular system
of work, amply illustrated to our minds
what the country might be if only fac
tories OF this kind were at once set go
ing, TO give work and wages to the
people, who are now obliged to seek
employment everywhere, anywhere but
at home A great deal OF the Belleek
work is hand-worked, and it was really
marvellous to watch the swiftness and
accuracy with which the clay turned
into the prettiest shapes and patterns