Inspired by the traditional craft of Borris Lace, “The Borris Lace by Post Project” and Borris Lace Exchange projects aimed to engage older people in a creative activity in a Covid safe way. In the first phase, by Post, participants were engaged in a process of making and stitching with two local artists, Ally Nolan, a designer and craft maker from Bagenalstown and Jules Michael a painter and community artist living near Borris. Jules and Ally designed a six-month project were each month, participants received a pack by post filled with everything they needed to learn the creative processes involved in making lace, sewing techniques and more. The beauty of this project was that the two artists tailored each pack to what the participants felt like making!

The Borris Lace Exchange” project built on connections made in the first phase to collaborate with Borris Lodge Nursing Home residents and Borris Lacemakers Group to create new lace patterns and new Borris Lace pieces. The designs, patterns and lace pieces were also shared with Borris Men’s Sheds to apply to wood designs and participants in MaterHub, Matera, Italy (a Craft Hub EU partner organization) in this rich multi layered exchange project.

Borris Lace by Post and Borris Lace Exchange worked towards linking older people from Borris, Co. Carlow and Matera, Italy. Both regions have a tradition in textiles and through these projects new links, exchanges and collaborations were created. Linking crafts and traditions – inviting Men’s Shed participants to collaborate to use woodworking skills to build outdoor community furniture incorporating Borris Lace designs. These projects were designed in such a way that they delivered creative craft workshops around drawing, design and creation of new lace patterns by older people in Borris Lodge Nursing Home, Borris Men’s Shed and the Borris Lacemakers Group. The projects enabled an experiential journey for participants to engage with this rich indigenous craft and enable skills to be shared and continued.

The Borris Lace by Post and Borris Lace Exchange projects were developed by Carlow Arts Service and Creative Ireland Carlow in collaboration with The Borris Lacemakers Group and the Craft Hub EU project.  These projects not only provided a wonderful creative outlet for older people but also highlighted the work that the Borris Lacemakers Group do to conserve our beautiful heritage craft. Borris Lace was introduced to South County Carlow 174 years ago Lady Harriet Kavanagh of Borris House as a way for local people to make an income during famine times. The Borris Lacemakers Group was established in 2016 to redress the decline of the craft.