Crochet Guild of America: Tour of Ireland and Scotland Day 10: April 7, 2003 Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, Belfast report by CGOA member Barbara Pretzsch

Monday, April 7^th  we were on the narrow road again and for the first time we had to stop and back up for another bus.  We found our way through Monaghan again and out toward Belfast. 

Irish Linen Centre

We passed into County Armagh, Northern Ireland we found highway M-1 a limited access highway toward Belfast arriving in Lisburn about 10:30. We entered the Irish Linen Centre, Lisburn Museum.  Ellen met us in the anteroom of the museum to give us a tour.  She told us that the building had been the Market House in the 1700’s for the sale of the linen.  The River Lagan nearby was used to ship the linen along the canal system to the Market House to be sold.  The community also used the building for dances and exhibitions.

Spinning demo at Lisburn Museum

We watched Phillip spin some flax into linen thread.  Normally a woman would do this.  The flax was tied to a rod near her spinning wheel and she would be sitting outside her home.   If she were single and available for marriage a red, pink or white ribbon would be tied around the flax but if she were married a blue or green ribbon would be used.  The men would come to call but they would watch her ability to spin rather than see how pretty she was.  A “spinster” was a woman who never married.

Security for Presidential visit

Then we were headed to Hillsborough for lunch at the Hillside Restaurant.  Castle Hillsborough was the meeting place for PM Tony Blair and President George Bush that day.    Security was terribly tight.  We began seeing groups of Guarda in their paddy wagons all along the road into Hillsborough. 

Walk to Hillside Restaurant

They finally stopped the bus about half a block away from the Castle and we had to walk up the hill.  We learned later that they managed to keep the restaurant open just because we were coming.

Delma Myers with Pat and Thelma from Crochet Lace Guild

We sat with Pat and Thelma from the local Crochet Lace Guild.  They passed around some things that Thelma had made.  Thelma was a delight.  She was probably in h er 80’s with failing eyesight and so not able to crochet the delicate Irish crochet any more.  But she was so bright and lucid it was a pleasure to talk with her.

As we walked back down the road to where the bus would be able to come back and meet us, we saw lots of excitement at the top of the hill.  We decided it was PM Blair arriving not President Bush.  Helicopters were circling the area with camera’s scanning the ground, or that’s what it looked like.

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©2004 Crochet Guild of America. Article and Photographs: Barbara Pretzsch Webweaver: Pam Oddi

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