Carrickmacross Lace

The Queen of Sweden, yes, the Queen of Sweden, gets married with a Carrick-mecross Lace shawl. From the Schools Archive: “This town is noted for lace this great many years and I am sure that there are few people who have not heard of Carrick-mecross lace. This lace has a very peculiar design which makes it very tedious and difficult to do. Very few people make lace in this town except the nuns, and Miss Simmons who lives in Mulinarry. Some time ago more people worked at it but there is not much sale for it as it is very expensive. The lace is made into collars, vests, wedding robes and many other such articles, and these are carefully preserved in families from generation to generation. Our little town is known in places that it would not be known in, by its lace. “Lace - making was a very famous industry round here about forty years ago. All the women & girls were kept very busy. They first cut a piece of wood from a tree, bought a linen spool at 5 shilling & needles at 3 shillings. Then starting with 9 shillings a family named Smith were known to make £20.”