In June 2023, Friends of Lace Limerick applied for funding via the Creative Communities on a Shared Island programme, strand 2. In October 2023, we found out that we were one of the nine projects selected .
The project focuses on supporting collaboration and exchanges between lacemaker groups and heritage institutions on the island of Ireland, and is led by Limerick City and County Council. The partners in the project are two lacemaker groups – Friends of Lace Limerick and the South Armagh Lace Collective-, and three museums: the Limerick Museum, the Armagh County Museum and the Cork Public Museum. The long term goal is to create and promote a lace trail through the majority of historical lacemaking centres on the island of Ireland.
Friends of Lace Limerick and the South Armagh Lace Collective are two groups of lacemakers based in Limerick and Armagh respectively. Limerick lace and Carrickmacross lace have a series of similarities – they are both embroidery on net, they originate in the 1820s and they are both part of Ireland’s intangible cultural heritage.
The two groups came up with the idea of a lace trail, that would map places of lace interest both in their localities, and across the island of Ireland, back in 2019. The pandemic interrupted the mutual visits, but the connections between the two groups continued online. International experience shows that people interested in lace have a much broader interest in lace history and lace techniques than the particular type of lace they are making. The availability of such a lace trail has both national and international tourism potential and would encourage the organisation of lace tours throughout the island of Ireland. The video above was produced for Heritage Week 2023.
For the duration of the project (2023-2025), we will be organising pop-up exhibitions, presentations, demonstrations and lacemaking classes), as well as mutual visits .
The Laces of Ireland digital platform will be further developed to include a Laces of Ireland Trail map. An all-Ireland lace trail that will include the permanent collections and lacemaking community groups available to welcome visitors, as well as a joint calendar of events. Together with the Guild of Irish Lacemakers, we are working on a downloadable booklet to include the contact details of “places of lace” on the island of Ireland.
This project is funded by Creative Ireland’s Creative Communities on a Shared Island Scheme, and Limerick City and County Council through Creative Ireland Limerick.

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