The National Lottery had a chat with Claire Byrne, who comes from a long line of weavers and was one of those who established The Liberties Weavers as an independent community group.
What’s all this about weaving in the heart of The Liberties?
It’s a tradition that goes back over 1,000 years. In fact, weaving in The Liberties pre-dates the Vikings, but their arrival had a big impact on the industry. They brought over a different type of loom, and they also brought trousers; we were all wearing dresses until then. The arrival in the 17th century of Huguenot refugees from France also made an impression. They brought over the big Jacuard looms, and a really sophisticated weave and weaving became massive in the 1600s.
How come it is so popular in The Liberties though?
We had a parliament in Dublin at the Bank of Ireland across from Trinity College. All the politicians and their families were there; Francis Street would have been the Grafton Street of its day, and The Liberties became the richest area in Dublin. In 1801, the parliament left Dublin and moved to England so the aristocrats all left and the market took an awful hit. By 1825, The Liberties was the poorest area in Dublin.
How do you know all this?
Because we set up a voluntary group called The Liberties Weavers in 2021 to breathe new life into the tradition of weaving and textile production in the area. We provide classes in a small community room in the Timberyard in Dublin 8 three times per week throughout the academic year in collaboration with City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB), who provide a tutor. We also teach weaving in libraries and collaborate with NCAD and Liberties College.
But isn’t The Liberties primarily known for brewing?
Although famous for brewing, there’s only one road in The Liberties named after alcohol, and that’s Power’s Square, but there are over 45 named after weaving. A host of buildings, alleys, streets and squares bear testimony to the impact the industry had on the area. So, the weavers really left their mark.
This is all fascinating but what has this got to do with National Lottery Players?
The Liberties Weavers are delighted to be a National Finalist in this year’s Good Causes Awards (2024). The Liberties Weavers are delighted to be a National Finalist in this year’s Good Causes Awards (2024). The National Lottery part-funding we received from The Heritage Council — generated by National Lottery players — was used to promote the weaving and textile heritage of The Liberties in a variety of ways including the creation of The Liberties Weavers Walking Tour and A Weaving Map of The Liberties.
Tell me more about The Liberties Weavers…
We sprang from a 2018 project promoting weaving in The Liberties led by Marja Almqvist, textile artist and adult education tutor with the CDETB, and Cathy Scuffil, Dublin City Council Historian in Residence for Dublin Central. The first Weaving in the Liberties course was set up in September 2019 and I was one of the students. A tight knit group of weaving enthusiasts formed around the course, and in 2021, we established The Liberties Weavers as an independent community group.
I was always aware of weaving but not as a living, breathing craft – more as something from the old days. Mam’s side of the family worked in the Greenmount Mill in Harold’s Cross. My great grandad was in charge of looking after the looms. On my dad’s side they were silk weavers.
What else are they doing?
An urban living museum is a long-term goal we are working towards. Cristina Nicotra, who has taken over from me as our Chair, says: “Our plan for this year is to become a non-profit social enterprise because we really need to have our own space, and we cannot get that as a voluntary group. It’s our top priority to have a space where we can freely weave, and we need to house an archive of the textile history of the area and that should be accessible to everyone”.
Anything else I should know?
As part of our aim to make the process of making textile relevant and valued again, a fashion show – Weave What You Wear – will be held at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. This will also demonstrate the importance of sustainability and circularity. We want to show the community through weaving traditional craft, a shared social history and bringing innovation into our social fabric.
