Youghal lace
Encyclopedia
Youghal lace is a needle lace
inspired by Italian needle lace developed in Youghal
, County Cork
, Ireland.
. Mother Mary Ann Smith reverse-engineered some Italian lace to understand how it was made. She then taught the technique to local women and thus the school of lace began.
worn on her visit to India in 1911 as its Empress. The skill of lace making is still retained in Youghal to this day, however most specimens are kept in private collections and rarely put up for sale. There is no written record of either the stitches or the general technique at the Convents themselves, but the puzzling obscurity is illuminated by a number of important survivals:
In addition there are some surviving pieces from that era.
Needle lace
Needle lace is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to stitch up hundreds of small stitches to form the lace itself....
inspired by Italian needle lace developed in Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland.
Origins
Youghal lace was a top quality commercial product that ended with the First World War. Lace Making was taught in Youghal from 1845 by the Presentation SistersPresentation Sisters
The Presentation Sisters, also known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are an order of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland by Nano Nagle in 1775....
. Mother Mary Ann Smith reverse-engineered some Italian lace to understand how it was made. She then taught the technique to local women and thus the school of lace began.
Legacy
Among the finest pieces of lace made in Youghal was a train for Queen MaryMary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
worn on her visit to India in 1911 as its Empress. The skill of lace making is still retained in Youghal to this day, however most specimens are kept in private collections and rarely put up for sale. There is no written record of either the stitches or the general technique at the Convents themselves, but the puzzling obscurity is illuminated by a number of important survivals:
- A sampler of 43 stitches (in Kenmare Lace, similar to Youghal Lace), on display at the Kenmare Lace and Design Centre in KenmareKenmareKenmare is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of Ceann Mara meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay.-Location:...
. - A court train made for Queen Mary and worn by her at the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
- Two books of designs drawn in Chinese white on paper tinted beige, pink, azure, crimson or midnight blue.
- The Needlecraft Practical Journal no.106, published by William Briggs under the Penelope trademark, c1909.
- Two books of designs for needlepoint lace, hand-painted by the nuns of St Clares Convent in the late 19th century, on display at the Kenmare Lace and Design Centre, Kenmare.
- A number of smaller pieces are available for viewing at Youghal Heritage Centre
In addition there are some surviving pieces from that era.