Lace
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Lace has been made in Ireland for several hundred years but most notably since the eighteenth century. The patronage of the Royal Dublin Society and of wealthy philanthropists ensured the survival of the craft, and helped to maintain high standards in design and craftsmanship which carried on until the early twentieth century at least./Collections/Textiles---Costime/TR-51-10.aspx)
Convent schools throughout Ireland offered training which enabled many women to earn a modest living as outworkers for the lace industry.
There are two main types of Irish Lace – that which is embroidered, e.g. Carrickmacross Lace, and that which is created with thread and needle, or hook. The former group owes its success and survival to the introduction of machine-made net. The latter group includes Irish Crochet lace, Needlepoint, and the various bobbin and tape laces./Collections/Textiles---Costime/TR-112-1.aspx)
The UFTM has over 450 examples of Irish lace ranging in date from the early eighteenth century to late twentieth, and in scale from button-sized crochet motifs to elaborate wedding veils and jackets in finest Carrickmacross, and Limerick lace.
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