200th birthday celebrations ahead for this unique Laois craftwork

Laois is the birthplace of a beautifully timeless white embroidery craft that is 200 years old this year, and it is getting a big celebration in its own renovated museum.

The Mountmellick Embroidery and Heritage Museum is inviting the public to share in a Bicentennial Celebration of Irish White on White Embroidery with a day of free talks and exhibits of items normally stored away.

Mountmellick Work as it is known worldwide, is the only embroidery style from the nineteenth century that is entirely Irish in origin and design.

It was introduced by the Mountmellick Quaker Johanna Carter in 1825, with designs inspired by the flora and fauna along the banks of the Owenass river.

The craft was later practiced by local women as a cottage industry, bringing them much needed income.

The late Sister Teresa Margaret McCarthy singlehandedly revived the tradition in the 1970s by teaching it to schoolgirls, and today the work is carried on by local craft workers who give tutorials in the museum, located in the MDA building.

Sr Teresa Margaret's hands embroidering a piece of Mountmellick Work in the 1970s. Photo: Mountmellick Museum

Frank Fennelly is a volunteer with the museum.

“This bicentennial is a powerful testament to the skill, artistry, and enduring legacy of our unique 'white on white' Embroidery,” he said.

Mountmellick Museum also has a smart new website, bringing its past bang up to date for worldwide crafters, who regularly travel to Ireland for personal tutorials on Mountmellick Work.

“This commemoration also marks the official launch of the museum’s new dedicated website. The new website will allow us to promote the museum to a wider global audience. It will also greatly enhance our visitor experience by providing a seamless way to book tours of the museum in advance,” Frank said.

The day's programme will start at 10am and will feature a series of fascinating speeches exploring the craft’s history, preservation, and contemporary relevance.

The line-up of speakers includes local Historian Roy Meredith who will be speaking on the history of Mountmellick Embroidery.
Alex Ward and Lorna Rowley from the National Museum of Ireland will give a presentation titled “Mountmellick embroidery in the National Museum of Ireland - the collection and it’s care.”

Clodagh Grubb will give a talk on “The Quaker heritage of needlework.”

It will be followed by Mountmellick Embroidery master craftsperson Dolores Dempsey, speaking about contemporary styles with her presentation “Mountmellick Embroidery today and into the future.”

Contemporary dresses in Mountmellick Work by designers Caroline Mitchell and Heidi Higgins.

Marking the occasion, the museum will also display contemporary pieces of Mountmellick embroidery and several Quaker Samplers which are not normally exhibited at the Museum.

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The event will take place this weekend, on Saturday, November 1, at the Mountmellick Embroidery & Heritage Museum, in the MDA building, Irishtown, Eircode R32 A0PK, which also has a restaurant and ample parking spaces with a playground across the road.

Admission is free, however booking is essential to secure a place. Tickets on Eventbrite:shorturl.at/HRoln