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F abrics made in the country's oldest woollen mills are making a comeback in contemporary homes as we seek to preserve our traditional crafts
Michael Collins throw, €170, foxford.com
'Mooneen' mohair throw, large €180/small €90, cushendale.ie
Set of two woven cushions and throw, €590, arranstreeteast.ie
Set of four granite woven table mats, £85, mournetextiles.com
Tartan mohair cushion, €350, thetweedproject.com
Set of six tweed coasters, €30, irishdesignshop.com
Rustic stripe herringbone throw, €199.95, avoca.com
Rust linen napkins, €20 each, stableofireland.com
Orange and grey cashmere and merino throw, €200, Rathbornes; rathbornes1488.com; brownthomas.com
In a world of fast fashion, saturated with machine-made objects, provenance is important, and Ireland’s textile weaving mills are some of the best in the world, where time, history and heritage are valuable assets.
Y ears ago, people were knitting and weaving out of economic necessity. Ireland had fields of sheep and plenty of skilled craftspeople. So important were the skills of weaving in early Ireland that the Brehon Laws, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries, stipulated, in case of a divorce, a wife should keep her spindles, weaver’s reeds and yarn as part of her entitlement. Irish tweed, wool, linen and lace then became key exports and a big draw for tourists eager to bring some heritage home.
Rust linen napkins, €20 each, stableofireland.com
But Ireland’s mills have been playing a survival game over the years, with many falling casualty to famine, recessions and nanotechnology. There are still a handful of mills that survived through the years, including Kerry Woollen Mills, Studio Donegal, Avoca, Foxford and Cushendale Mills — all quietly continuing the craft of hand weaving, honouring their traditional production methods while forging a place in a contemporary marketplace. Not only are people beginning to realise the importance of maintaining indigenous craft, but they’re recognising the beauty in Irish fabrics, spurring a back-to-basics renaissance helping to boost wool sales.
Foxford, originally founded by a nun in 1892 in Mayo, was on the brink of extinction until it was rescued in 1987, and now it sells internationally, attracting 200,000 visitors to the small village.
'Mooneen' mohair throw, large €180/small €90, cushendale.ie
Fast fashion is a term seldom used in the Cushendale Woollen Mills, which has been spinning yarn for more than 800 years, since Cistercian monks set up there in 1204 and channelled a mill race (water tributary), the same one that’s still being used by the mill today. Cushendale is one of two mills in Ireland that still spins its own yarn, and its mule, dating back to 1890, is one of the last three left in the country.
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Rustic stripe herringbone throw, €199.95, avoca.com
When the Avoca mill opened in the 1720s, it was to weave fabric for the local community who were essentially miners and farmers, and has come a long way from its humble beginnings to what it is now — a retail empire with hallmark wool blankets at its core.
Set of four granite woven table mats, £85, mournetextiles.com
Established more than 300 years ago, Kerry Woollen Mills combines centuries of experience with modern technology, and is the only Irish mill to produce 100pc organic Irish wool.
Set of two woven cushions and throw, €590, arranstreeteast.ie
Young Irish companies such as Irish Design Shop, Stable of Ireland and Arran Street East are fine examples of new businesses intent on carrying on the craft. Arran Street East, the handmade pottery company, has launched a textile collection, which is handmade by a master weaver on traditional floor looms at its Dublin studio.
Set of six tweed coasters, €30, irishdesignshop.com
The collection mirrors the popular Arran Street East aesthetic in its colourways and minimal pattern, using Donegal Yarns to reflect the subtle shades and specks found in the ceramic glazes. In keeping with Arran Street East’s goal of both making and teaching traditional crafts, the studio offers weaving courses.
Tartan mohair cushion, €350, thetweedproject.com
The ethos behind Stable of Ireland is to celebrate what our tiny island has to offer, delivering clothing and home accessories made by Irish weavers with the purest Irish linen, wool, cashmere and alpaca, but with a modern twist. Even Bono has been seen wearing one of its cashmere scarves. The Stable Home collection is a carefully curated mix of beautiful table linens, bath towels, bedding and blankets that are both refined, luxurious and stylish.
In a world where trends are rapidly changing, textiles, the kind produced by some of the oldest mills in Ireland and those who recognise the importance and beauty of tradition, happily belong on the trend periphery.
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