Where in Ireland was linen once produced?
Largely concentrated in Ulster, the market town of Lisburn Co. Antrim (along with others towns in the Lagan and Bann valleys) was at the heart of the flourishing linen industry.
When did the Irish linen industry collapse?
Back in the day the Irish textile industry was huge, employing 70,000 people at its peak over 37,000 looms. Everything centred around linen and practically every town and village had a mill or a factory. In 1955 there were 55 linen spinners in Northern Ireland, but sadly there are no more. The last closed in 2009.
Why do Irish have linens?
Irish linen is a rightfully famous fabric – it’s beautifully rich to the touch, and possesses a wonderful balance of drape, breathability and comfort. It’s wearable, adaptable, stunning when finely tailored and yet full of personality and individuality.
Is Irish linen still made in Ireland?
The yarn must be woven in Ireland for it to be ‘Irish Linen’. Only linen which has been woven in Ireland can carry the Irish Linen Guild’s trademark. Weaving and production of Linen still continues in Ireland headed by Ireland’s oldest mill William Clark.
What is the difference between linen and Irish linen?
They also use a closer setting during weaving, making it denser. Irish 12/13oz linen feels heavier and looks sharper. Linen is also very strong, and deals well with abrasion (so won’t wear down at the elbows, for example).
Why is Irish linen so expensive?
Linen fiber is inelastic and easy to break in the production process, so great care must be taken when spinning and weaving. As a result, these machines have to run at lower speeds, giving lesser yields and increasing costs. European production and labor contribute to the costly production of linen.
Is flax still grown in Ireland?
Whilst Ireland did grow flax for the linen industry in the past, due to the nature of the climate, the retting process could not be carried out in an environmentally friendly manner. This is the main reason why we no longer grow flax commercially in Ireland.
What is Belfast linen?
Belfast is a very popular linen fabric made of 100% Linen. It is normally stitched over 2 threads, thus making it into 16 counts per inch. It comes in a WIDE range of colors. Belfast is less stiff than a traditional linen.
What does Belfast linen mean?
It is 100% linen and less stiff than regular Linen fabric. Belfast Linen: 32 count Linen comes in a large variety of colors and is normally stitched over two threads. Belfast is 100% linen and is softer than regular Linen.
Where was the first linen mill in Belfast?
1830 – The Mulholland family rebuild their cotton mill in York Street as a linen mill. It heralds the dawn of Belfast’s world leading mechanised linen industry. Other entrepreneurs take note of their increasing success. 1835 – Plans for the Ulster Railway are announced.
When was Irish linen first used in England?
The first notice of Irish linen in England was in the time of Henry III., 1272. Henry VIII. mentioned that Irish linen had been exported for one hundred years. In his time, the Irish used linen in extravagant quantities, thirty yards being put into one garment.
Where was the first linen made in the world?
The first written evidence of a linen comes from the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen hast its own ideogram and is also written as “li-no” in Greek. The Phoenicians, who had their merchant fleet, brought flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland. Belfast became in time the most famous linen producing center in history.
Why was Belfast important to the textile industry?
Linenopolis: the rise of the textile industry. Emily Boyle. In 1750 Belfast was a small town with little importance for the Irish textile industry. By the outbreak of the First World War, however, it had been transformed into the largest linen-producing centre not only in Ireland, but in the world.