The Irish standard., 1908-11-14

= .s. hINNEApOLI,
in New York last fall arrested orders
from this country. When conditions
are restored and the normal consump-
tion of Irish goods is resumed to the
United States it is believed that the
prosperity of the recent decade will
be revived.
Household industries: particularly
the manufacture of hand woven tweeds
and various kinds of lace, received a
gratifying impetus from the advertis-
ing obtained at the Irish village at the
Columbian exposition at Chicago in
1898, under the patronage of Lady
Aberdeen, who for 20 years had in
terested herself in the practical and
successful development of lacemaking
and hand weaving of woolen fabrics
Her energetic efforts have been sup
p!emented by the Royal Irish Indus
tries association and the Royal Dublin
society, both of which hold annual ex-
hibitions, offer prizes for excellence of
design and workmanship, and provide
agencies for the sale of homemade and
convent made products in London and
other cities.
The congested districts board has
also given much practical aid and en-
couragement by loaning money to peo-
PIC who cannot afford to buy looms, by
furnishing patterns and thread to lace.
! makers and by sending teachers in both
industries throughout the island into
the households, by establishing fixed
schools at central points and by fur
nishing thread and other materials to
lacemaiers and :!eavers for which it
collects payments after the products
are sold. All through the poor dis
tricts Of Ireland, where for centuries
there has been Il desperate struggle for
existence, thousands Of looms and spin
ming wheels may now be found in the
cottages OF the poor peasants, where
beth the parents and the children have
been instructed in spinning and in
weaving by government teachers. And
in almost every village OH the west
coast there is lace school attended Try
from twelve to fifty young women un-
der the instruction Of Il patient and
toctful teacher working With thread
advanced to tiiiee,rfh' Without payment
by the congested districts board. The
lace produced is sold for them at the
agencies, of the board, and they are thus
enabled to contribute several pounds
q month. to the incomes ofAtheir fanli-
lies - so. T.. -
Until the .congested- districts boar d
undertook this work, lacemaking was
practically confined 10 the converts
j There are two classes OF true Irish lace
needle point, (which is made by the
needle, and. the bobbin lace-the
threads of which are twisted around
small bobbins Of bone, wood or ivory
Eoth of. these laces are made entirely
}. by hand. which is not true of the Linn
erick and Carrickmacross laces: Nee.
dlepoint lace was first introduced into
Ireland by the sisters of the Presenta.
tion Convent of Youghal, County Cork
as means of helping the famine.
stricken inhabitants to earn money il
the terrible years of 1847-5O. It wa.
|, initiated from Italian models, but ha,
since been much developed and en-.
riched both in design and execution 81
that it may be considered original. Irisl
point lace has it's individuality as stun,
as Brussels point. ..
The Presentation Convent was found
ed in 1883 by Rev. Mother Mary Mag
!, delene Gould, a wealthy Irish woman
, who had lived many years in foreigl
countries. She was distinguished TO
!, her benevolence and.love for the poor
F. and consecrated her life and her prop
erty to the education of the childrel
O. the poor. When the famine occur
! leu III 1917 Slfc dUIHIIL0u 10 I1c con
! vent every child that could be accom-
. modated and also gave asylum to man,
r widows who were left homeless an,
. destitute. In order to furnish her pro
+ teges some occupation and enable the,
4 to earn a little for their own support
D she decided to teach them the art O
g laccmaking. which had been carried o.
for centuries in the converts of Italy
] She took some of her own lace, exam
ined the process by which it had bee
e made, unraveled the. threads one b
? one. and put them back again over an
e over again until she at last succeede
n in mastering the intricacies of the con
5 struction Of needle point. She next sc
Is lected the brightest and most deft fin
{. gered children and women in the con
vI vent and faupbt oacI, sono r.<oI,, ,,.y,,