Schooldays in Ardmore, Eire

Ardmore in Eire is just a few miles away from lace-famous Youghal, between Cork and Waterford. And it is Waterford Museum that has on-line memories of life and school days there. I am always interested in any memories of stitching classes and there is an excellent and funny narrative that you can find there which, interestingly, may explain the apparent evidence of more than one hand involved in sampler stitching! I quote just a little for you: The coming of Miss Earle, the needlework inspector was a day dreaded by me, as I wasn't over proficient in that subject. We had sampler books, with samples of our work displayed in it, gathers, patches, gussets etc. I'm sure Ann Flynn (R.I.P.) sister of Kitty Gartland did a few of mine, as she was a wonderfully neat 'needle-woman'. Like wise, both Biddy and Mary Power were requisitioned to do some of the knitting for the "duds" in that sphere.
To read more click here. I always wonder what it must have been like to have been a child in a landscape that included these round towers - I love them - now I immediately wonder if it is because they recall the forest of chimneys I grew up with in the textile belt of West Yorkshire?