444 ART AND COTTAGE INDUSTRIES. 



Fivemiletown Class made a very creditable show at the Home Arts and 

 Industries Exhibition at the Albert Hall in June, 1893, and succeeded in 

 winning a gold star for designs by Mr. Montgomery, and another for work- 

 manship earned by Mr. Patrick Roche. This, was, however, but a begin- 

 ning, and the reputation thus earned by the Fivemiletown Class stirred up 

 strangers to take an interest in its further development. Mr. John Williams, 

 then Art Teacher to the Surrey County Council, now head of the Art 

 Department at the Northampton Institute, in Finsbury, spent part of his 

 autumn holidays that year at Fivemiletown, where he was able to enjoy the 

 beauties of the Clogher Valley in the morning, and to devote his evenings to 

 developing the artistic faculties of the workers. His visits, repeated in 

 1894 and 1896, have done much to raise the standard of the work to a high 

 pitch of artistic excellence. Some examples of the art metal work of 

 Fivemiletown are illustrated in the accompanying plates. 



The products of the Fivemiletown Industries have elicited the 

 warmest praise at many exhibitions in 1895 and 1896, more especially at 

 the Home Arts and Industries Exhibition at the Albert Hall, and the Exhibi- 

 tion of Arts and Industries, held by the Royal Dublin Society at the same 

 time as the Dublin Horse Show at Ballsbridge. One of the judges at the 

 latter exhibition gave expression to the opinion that he had seldom seen 

 modern work approach so high a standard of excellence. 



As regards CABINET-MAKING for which Dublin was once so famous, it 

 may be said that as an art industry (save in the sense of skilful reproduction 

 of Chippendale and Sheraton work), it hardly exists in Ireland, except in 

 one locality — Killarney. Here, however, a School of Arts and Crafts, 

 founded by the Viscountess Castlerosse, and skilfully utilising the artistic 

 traditions of the place, has lately been producing work of much promise, 

 in the shape of decorated bedsteads, chairs, tables, and other cirticles of 

 woodwork, great and small, simple and elaborate. These are all marked, 

 if not by great originality of design, at least by the apt and tasteful utiliza- 

 tion of models from the best eighteenth century work, and they put it in the 

 power of the visitor to Killarney to obtain a fitting memento of his visit to 

 that enchanted region. 



Basket-WORK of an ornamental as well as useful character is carried on 

 at Letterfrack, County Galwa}^ Beaufort, County Kerry, and Castlecomer, 

 County Kilkenny. Much ingenuity and taste are displayed in adapting 

 wicker-work to various purposes, but these industries have suffered hitherto 

 from the lack of native-grown osiers of the right quality — a need which 

 steps are being taken to supply. 



The Belleek Pottery ware, which has been made so popular by its 

 characteristic lustre and tint, is the one pottery industry of any considerable 

 extent in Ireland. It suffers at present from some lack of novelty in design- 

 ing, but should be capable of considerable extension if this point were 

 attended to. Ordinary household ware, as well as ornamental pottery, is 

 made with much success at the Belleek works. 



Silver and Goldsmith's Work, which, like furniture-making, 

 flourished so remarkably in Ireland during the eighteenth century, is still 

 carried on with a high degree of technical skill ; and much good ecclesi- 

 astical brass work is done by at least one Dublin firm. Here, however, as in 

 most other departments of modern Irish art work, we are struck by the 

 absence of a native and original school of design. There is much artistic 

 knowledge and taste in the country, and much excellent craftsmanship, but 



