Clones Lace

Cassandra Hand, the wife of the local rector, set up a crochet school in Clones in 1847 to give women an income during the Famine, teaching a technique adapted from Venetian needlepoint lace into crochet - motifs of roses, shamrocks and grapes worked separately in relief and then joined by a filling. The joining is where Clones work is identifiable: the Clones knot, a tight knot worked into the mesh between motifs, which is difficult and is the mark of the real thing. At its height thousands of women in the area worked at it, and the money kept households alive. It declined with fashion, was revived in the 1980s by Maire Treanor, who tracked down the surviving lacemakers and learned from them, and is taught locally now. Displays and classes run through the Cassandra Hand Centre and the local guild, and there is an annual lace festival in summer.

What you'll find

• The Clones knot - the difficult joining knot that identifies the work.
• The raised motifs - roses, shamrocks and grapes worked in relief.
• The Famine origin - the 1847 school and its purpose.
• The teaching - classes and demonstrations through the local guild.

When to go

Any time, though opening is limited and depends on volunteers - contact ahead if you want to see work being done. The lace festival is in summer.

What to expect

Small and volunteer-run with irregular opening; this is not a staffed museum. Clones is a quiet border town with limited facilities. Classes need booking.

Nearby

Monaghan town and Rossmore Forest Park are east; the border is a few kilometres north.