Lace Festival 2015
The second Biennial Kenmare Lace festival ran from March 19 to March 22 2015
It was another very successful event.
Once again, Kenmare was the focal point of the lacemaking world as enthusiasts of this delicate art gathered to take part in the second Kenmare Lace Festival from 19 to 22 March. There were workshops, competitions, lectures, exhibitions and fashion shows, not to mention lace-bedecked windows in shops and restaurants all over town.
The festival at The Kenmare Heritage Centre was ably opened by Declan Murphy of Failte Ireland on Thursday 19th with ‘The Heritage Lace Experience’, a wonderful exhibition of antique lace from all around Cork and Kerry.
The exhibition drew expressions of awe and wonder from the many visitors as they examined the minute details of the delicate lace, much which was made in Kenmare by the Poor Clare nuns. They practiced and taught lace-making in the local convent since the 1860s. We would also like to thank all those who lent their precious family heirlooms to the exhibition.
The International Lace Exhibition, featuring the entries in the Contemporary and Traditional Lacemaking competitions, proved a great attraction. It opened on Friday at the Carnegie Ants Centre. Entries came from Australia, Scotland, Spain and Ireland.
The workshops in Kenmare needlepoint lace, Limerick and Carrickmacross lace, bobbin and traditional crochet lace, drew enthusiasts from all over Ireland,as did the Luxury of Irish Lace Exhibition, featuring work by the teachers. Some ladies even travelled all the way from Italy, and from Norway, especially for the Festival. The winners of the Contemporary Lace competition came from Scotland, Australia and Ireland.
There was a wonderful fashion show in the Park Hotel Kenmare, featuring award-winning Irish designers including Helen Cody, Tina Griffin and Alice Halliday. In addition there were presentations by local boutiques and stores such as O’Sullivan Ford, The White Room, White Willow, Nest Simplicity and Neidín Hats. Among the show-stopping raffle prizes were designer jewellery, paintings and vouchers for clothes and holiday items, and, of course, all the glamorous, beautifully-dressed ladies present found a little goodie bag under their seat. The best-dressed lady award went to Elaine Kelliher from Kilgarvan, who wore a beautiful red dress with matching accessories. This prize was sponsored by Sean Taaffe Hair & Beauty.
This year, the Fashion-Able competition, sponsored by the National Tailoring Academy, was judged by Sinead Doyle of the Academy, Nora Finnegan, Chairperson of Kenmare Lace Festival and award-winning designer, Helen Cody. Runner up, Aimé Ann-Marie O’Shea, won a tailoring course at the National Tailoring Academy plus €200. The overall winner, Evelina Cecekova, won a week long tailoring course along with €500. Both of our prize-winners are students of Mallow College of Design and Tailoring.
The festival culminated in a Lace Luncheon in the luxurious surroundings of the Sheen Falls Lodge, and featured a walk-around by students of the Mallow College of Design and Tailoring, the couturiers of the future.
There are so many people we would like to thank for their help and support: Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, the Carnegie Arts Centre, the Park Hotel Kenmare, Sheen Falls Lodge, the local shops and restaurants, Senator Mark Daly, Michael Healy Rae TD, Councillor Dan McCarthy, Noel Crowley, the lacy window artists, the many volunteers who gave up their time to curate our exhibitions, and everyone else who helped in any way towards the success of this, the second Kenmare Lace Festival.
The final acknowledgement must go to the organising committee, without whose hard work and dedication the Kenmare Lace Festival would not have happened. So well done, Nora Finnegan, Anne Dunne, Emer Finnegan, Siobhán Thoma and Kathlyn O’Brien – take a bow!
