Trading Places/CR.E.A.T.E. Programme

History of Linen in Ireland

Throughout this project children, alongside teachers and artists will be investigating the linen industry in their local area. We will be sharing what we learn. For example, you can see how the linen industry affected Cootehill in County Cavan.

Introduction

For more than three centuries the province of Ulster has been associated with the Linen Industry. More accurately, Ulster has been the chief linen-producing region in Western Europe for more than a century.

Historically, the industry has under-pinned the development of the local economy, enabled people to acquire business skills, and fostered other industrial development. It has also influenced the system of land tenure and even the basic demographic structure of the province. Yet no comprehensive history has been written so that its achievements around the world and the esteem in which it is held abroad have not been adequately recognised in Ulster.

The history of linen also allows us to trace the development of--and links between--craft, industrialisation and the technological developments of today. The history of the production of linen includes traditional methods such as the cultivation and harvesting of flax, brown linen, bleached linen, spinning, weaving, and so on.

In more contemporary times, linen was used in parachutes for the World Wars, in aeroplanes, household products, fashion, and in the invention of Lycra. The production of linen has also changed over the years.

Read more background about The Linen Industry.

See some internet resources available online about History of Linen in Ireland.

View a large image of the handtowel to the right, 100Kb.