THE MODERN IRISH LACE INDUSTRY. 423 



only wanted direction in order to produce good results ; and knowing this 

 I proposed the formation of classes which should be taught by certain of the 

 Sisters, who would themselves commence a course of study which would 

 enable them to qualify for the Art Class Teacher's Certificate. I was to 

 visit each class once a month, inspect the work done by pupils and nuns, 

 lecture, give directions as to the work for the ensumg month, and generally 

 guide their efforts. 



The course of study which I adopted was as follows : — During the first 

 year they should practice freehand drawing from the flat, and geometrical 

 drawing ; second year, model drawing, ornament from the cast, and the 

 practice of making working drawings from photographs of antique lace, cor- 

 recting the form when necessary ; third year, drawing plant form from nature, 

 and designing patterns. The Science and Art Department approved of 

 this scheme, and the first class was commenced at the Convent of Mercy, 

 Kinsale, followed immediately by a class at the Convent of Poor Clares, 

 Kenmare. Before two years had elapsed there were classes in operation at 

 Killarney, Tralee, Youghal, Thurles, Skibbereen, and St. Vincent's and 

 Blackrock Convents, Cork. My idea was that a class of designers should 

 be formed in each centre, with the work-roora in close proximity, so that it 

 would be possible to make trial pieces from the designs. This is absolutely 

 necessary in order to judge of the effect of a piece of lace. ^ have been 

 informed by M. Lefebure, the great lace manufacturer in Paris, that he has 

 sometimes had as many as five trial pieces made from a design before the 

 result could be considered satisfactory. This ideal of mine was realised in 

 some instances, notably at Kenmare and Kinsale. 



The Committee of the Cork Exhibition gave a sum of i^200, and the 

 Science and Art Department an equal amount, for the purchase of good 

 specimens of antique lace ; and thus a small but valuable collection was 

 formed. In order to make this available to the classes, I arranged a system 

 of circulation by which each convent had a frame containing one or more 

 pieces of lace on loan for a month, and thus they had an opportunity of 

 studying from the entire collection. 



Before the commencement of the Convent Classes we had endeavoured 

 to form a small class of designers at the School of 

 Difficulties in Art, Cork, with the object of supplying designs for 

 Lace Designing, lace and crochet to those centres which were not 

 sufficiently advanced to make their own designs. I 

 selected a few of the advanced students, and set them to copy from the lace 

 in the loan collection which hung in the Exhibition ; at the same time they 

 made themselves acquainted with the technicality of lace-makmg, and the 

 limitations of the material, by, in several cases, actually learning how to 

 make the lace for which they were designing. It is scarcely necessary for 

 me to remark that it is, in my opinion, absolutely impossible for any student, 

 no matter hov/ clever he may be, to make successful designs without fully 

 comprehending the limitations of the material in which the design is to be 

 carried out. I have several times had to combat an idea which is enter- 

 tained by some ; that is, if a large class of artisans is taught drawing, it is 

 possible to make them all proficient at design. Like the poet, a good 

 designer cannot be made. A notable instance occurs to me. I remember 

 two ladies, sisters, who had studied together ; both drew equally well from 

 the cast and from nature, and had passed through all the elementary work 

 creditably. They informed me that they wished to learn designing for lace. 



