Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-06
IRISH LACEIAKlgG.
THE ART INTRODUCED NEARLY TWO
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Persistent Efforts to Make the Industry
Successful-Convent Scholastic
Cepters of the Business.

Lacemaking in ireland, regarded as
something more than name to cover
kindly meant but spasmodic efforts to find
employment for the poor, has to compete,
says an English magazine, with lace
making in other parts of the world. The
art of making lace by hand has been pur-
sued for close upon 400 years in Italy, the
Netherlands and France, and it is by a
comparison with the industry in these
countries that an idea can be gained of
Ireland's standing in the same field. In
its earliest days lacemaking abroad, prac-
ticed as it was by peasant women and re-
ligious communities, secured the support
of clientele Of patrons, whose whimsical
tastes stimulated the exercise OF artistic
invention and subtle handicraft. But
whenever that was relaxed the industry
and its trade were seriously affected. Sup
ply stimulated demand, and the nature OF
the demand helped to keep up the high
character of the supply. In England and
Ireland it gradually became the impression
that the work was peasant and cottage
industry, and as such it commended itself
to the notice of benevolent persons. Ex-
perience, however, has shown that simple
beneyolence does not imply artistic per-
ception or capacity to direct. In fact, the
impulsive sentiment of benevolence usu-
ally leads to results different from the
more lasting ones of commercial discipline
The influence of benevolence is somewhat
strongly marked in its connection with
lacemaking in Ireland.
Widespread as lacemaking had become
among the women of France and Flanders
by the end of the seventeenth century, it
was at that time somewhat extensively
practiced in England, whence it passed
over in modified degree to Ireland. Here
from the beginning the conditions seem 10
have been too weakly to secure for it a
fairly promising foothold. This may be
inferred from the fact that in the year
1743 the Royal Dublin Society granted to
benevolent and energetic lady, Lady
Arabella Denny, $50 year to be distrib-
uted by her as she pleased in prizes ~
those who excelled in lacemaking. she
was possibly fired with ambition to pro-
mote the industry in Ireland by noting in
the southern counties of England the dill
gence of the ''free maids who weave their
threads with bones" as well as by reading
passages in Bishop Berkeley's Word to
the WISE" which describes how on sum-
mer's evening common laborers were to be
seen sitting along the streets of town or
village, each at his own door with a cush-
ion before him, making bone lace, and
earning more in an evenings pastime than
an Irish family would in whole day"
She seems to have set to work to teach
children in few OF the Irish poorhouses
how to make "bone lace"-a small trim
ming lace something like the torchoa of
modern commerce, so that they should win
the prizes. The Royal Dublin Society
continued its annual grants for thirty
years Nevertheless soon after Lady Dem
ny's death bone lacemaking became ex-
tinct. But the tradition survived, and
early in the present century and attempt
was made to revive it. The first was in
1920. Small groups of lacemakers were
formed, but nothing of Importance re-
suited. In 1929 party of teachers were
brought over from England, and before
long 1000 women were engaged in making
pillow laces and embroidering limitations
of tulle. This lasted some fifty years, but
the name of Limerick" lace had become
established. About 1916 what is known
as Carrickmacross lace gained prominence
but interest waned and as good as disap-
peared entirely.
The uncertain and declining sales of
Irish lace then gave birth to Ladies'
Industrial Society for Ireland" whose an
nounced object was to correspond with
English and foreign acquaintance to in
duce them to sell, free of charge, any Irish
work sent to them and to remit to the
owners the full amount that their work
realized. But the society's operations
were not far reaching and did not long sur
viYe.
In 1S47, at the time of the famine in
Ireland, efforts were made to relieve dis
tress by teaching girls and women to make
lace and forcing the sales. The convent
schools gave much attention to it, but the
patterns were poor and the work was not
altogether creditable. Crochet work was
also introduced at this time, and the girls
in the North and South of Ireland soon
became proficient in knitting "tatting" In
1901 d lNOIludl lJdCt kCtucOl do CcLoOtiSnCN
in Dublin, grant of e500 being allowed
by Parliament. But at the end of the first
year it was found that while there had
been progress made in the drawing and de-
signing classes, lacemaking was failure,
and the school was closed. In 1888, with
a view of stimulating interest, number of
leading firms dealing in laces gave an ex-
hibition of all kinds of Irish lace and en-
broideries in London. The excellence of
the handiwork was praised on every side,
but the artistic taste displayed in the pat
terms was of low standard. But it drew
attention to Irish work in that direction,
and the converts began forming classes
and giving instruction. The number of
such students at each lacemaking convent
is, of course small, but apparently upon the
training and influence of such students,
who for the most part are nuns, the posi-
BILE future success of lacemaking in Ireland
will largely depend. At the different CEN
tiers many of the children learning lace
making, as well as few of the adult
workers, who come to the work-rooms pro-
vided for their use, learn to draw and so
to accustom themselves to good flowing
lines and sense of proportion in orna-
ment, though very few, if any, Of them
possess or can be. expected to possess the
capability or aptitude to compose orna-
ment.
These scattered art classes, most of
which are equipped with good examples
or photographs of old laces and with other
works displaying types of ornamental
compositions, are in direct touch with
groups of lacemakers. This feature,
which is at least new one in the condi-
tions of lacemaking in Ireland, has been
developed since 1884. There are now