The Irish standard., 1907-07-13
:.WELL-N|GH::=L LOST.
=.
The Art of Weaving Fine Linens
:. by Hand on Irish Looms.
'Farlous Ardoyne Still Main.
tains Its Old-Time Glory.

8g we nave TO tHdllk IMf. 1HO1!IdS HN.
Gibson, of the Adam, Medium & An
derson Company, this city, for a copy
Of: Weekly Welcome, in which we find
the appended interesting article on the
making of Irish linens on handlooms.
says the Buffalo Catholic Union and
Times.
:; Startling has been the change that
has come over the production Of the
far-famed Irish linen during the last
thirty years, the handioom has not
been entirely ousted from the field.
There is at least one factory on this
principle still in full swing-and this,
too, in the city of Belfast, where COM
nercial enterprise has most promi-
nently associated itself with the up-to-
date methods Of production. At one
time there were as many as eighty
handlooms going at Ardoyne-that dis
trict so closely associated with the
name of st. Patrick. Many of the
houses of today were shops thirty years
ago, and even then the demand for the
fine napery woven there could not be
met.
Although Ardoyne handloom factory
is not so extensive as it was then, there
stantly working. and the steady en-
ployment it affords its hands is an in
dication that there is yet a market for
the daRnask which was the delight of
our grandmothers. Strange to say.
much of the trade comes from Amer
lea, that part of the globe which speci-
ally prides itslef uron being up-todate
In everything.
Recently a question was asked in the
House of Commons as to the enforce
naent of a guarantee that cloths sold as
handloom texture were actually pro-
duced by the old fashioned method.
Were this done there is no doubt that
such linens as arc produced at Ar
doyne would be more in demand than
they are. Handloom cloth is neces-
sarily much dearer, and by the ordin-
airy buyer cannot be distinguished from
that produced on the power loom. but
in point of wear there is no conpari-
son. Recently l saw a tabecloth made
one hundred and twenty six years ago.
which despite it's old age. was still in
a good state of preservation.
It was in 1919 that the late Michael
Andrews established the factory at Ar
doyne, and although the place is now
carried on by the John S. Brown e.
Sons, it is managed by a grandson Of
the founder. In connection with this
interesting survival there are several
gentlemen who have more than a pure
~ commercial interest in the promul-
cation of the old home industry: Mr.
w. r. Murray, j. P. the managing
director Of the firm, Mr.. Andrews. the
manager, and Mr.. Macveigh. the resi-
dent manager at Ardoyne. have all
taken a deep interest in the preserva-
loom weaving, and Ardoyne is an OBJ
3ect lesson to those who are a the
present moment giving attention to the
question of resuscitation Of the cot
tage industries Of Ireland.
Seldom nova days does a youth
!, think Of learning the handloom. and
FysArdoyne is colony of veterans. A
sTnan with twenty years experience in
the place is looked upon as little else
than newcomer. and the five oldest
employes have total service in the
place Of two hundred and thirty-nne
years. Mr. John Reid began life as a
weaver at the age of ten. and he is
pow completing his sixty third year
az service: James sinclear and Thomas
Kerr. have each been in the place for
forty-seven years: and John Conlan
and Sam Thompson forty-two and for
ty years respectively: while close at
their heels come seven or eight weavers
who are running from twenty-five to
thirty-fv years service.
Capital work, too. these veterans of
the shuttle know how to turn out. and
not the. least interesting part of my
I1ln through Ardoyne the other day
vas the inspection of damasks which
had been woven for distinguished men
of. the empire. Napkins and table,
cloths which were designed at Ardoyne
and made on the handlooms there
graced the table Of William w. and
our own Prince of Wales has been a
customer of the factory. For him a
large order of napkins was woven at
the. retail price of rine guineas doz-
zen, Big as this figure appears to be, it
costs not a penny less. than $500 to
put the napkins en- the loom. while
20 fine was the linen that the weav-
ar had to make sixty-eight shots of