13 October 2024
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Clonakilty Flax Celebration – Threads of Time – Saturday 19th October
Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage is hosting a daylong celebration of Flax at the local Parochial Hall P85 XC64 on Saturday October 19th from 10am – 5pm.
The day will include interactive talks, flax displays, sharing Flax stories, and heritage skill demonstrations. The event is co-ordinated by Flax enthusiast Kathy Kirwan who gave an excellent public talk in Clonakilty on West Cork Flax last April.
The Flax Celebration day – Threads of Time, (past, present and future Flax) was inspired by an article in “The Southern Star” on 19th February 1938 entitled, “The Clonakilty of 1824” which detailed that around 10,000 people from around Clonakilty and Rosscarbery were employed in the Linen Industry in the year 1824; 200 years ago, and 2 years before the collapse of the West Cork Linen Industry in 1826.
There will be contributions from: Kathy Kirwan, Eco Social Artist and Flax and Linen Enthusiast; Dr. Colin Rynne, UCC Archaeology; Malú Colorin, Fibreshed Ireland – Natural Dyer, Eco-socialist and Jacqueline of all trade. Sonia Caldwell, Artist, Sculptor, Irish native plant enthusiast from Kilcoe Studios. Weavers, Dyers, Spinners, Lace makers: Lucy Moore, Malú Colorin, Elizabeth O’ Connor, Eleanor Calnan, and more. Flax Display Artists: Cróna McCarthy (Bealad Mill), Anne Scallan, Deirdre Archbold, Anne Harrington Rees, Anna Fitzgerald, Kathy Kirwan, and more.
Clonakilty Museum visit kindly hosted by Clonakilty Men’s Shed.
People with memories and experience of West Cork Flax are most welcome to share their flax memories and memorabilia on the day.
Full Programme: Flax – Threads of Time
| Times* | Event – Talks |
| 10-11:30 | Flax West Cork Interactive Talk & Flax processing tools demonstration.
Kathy Kirwan and Tim Feen. |
| 11:30-12pm | Tea/ Coffee and Flax chats |
| 12-1pm | Flax Industrial History – Dr Colin Rynne UCC Archaeology |
| 1-2pm | Lunch |
| 2-2:30pm | Future Flax – Malú Colorin, Fibreshed Ireland |
| 2:30-3pm | Flax as part of a biodiverse landscape and culture – Sonia Caldwell, Kilcoe Studios |
| From 1pm | Clonakilty Museum Visit Linen heritage display. |
| Afternoon | Heritage skills demonstrations:
Flax to Fibre: spinning, weaving, lace making and natural dyeing. Flax processing skills: Scutching, Breaking, , Hackling (Ripple, Break, Scutch, Hackle) Mapping the Flax: Gather Flax heritage stories Map Dúchas West Cork Flax sites. Flax Display: Art, clothing and Crafts of Flax and Linen. Close 5pm |
*Please note the time of lectures may vary slightly from the scheduled times.
To cover costs there will be a €10 entry fee.