Hi everyone. I hope you all had a great week. This week It’s time to revisit one of our most iconic brands here at The Irish Store. We wanted to find out more about how and where the Foxford tradition began. So we took a trip west to Foxford Woolen Mills in Mayo to discover more about their story.
Meet Joe Queenan, Managing Director of Foxford
Joe! We know Foxford is one of Ireland’s oldest and most-loved companies. Where does the story start?
The story starts here in Foxford in Mayo! But it starts a very long time ago. We are an old company. The woollen mill was built in Foxford in the time after the potato famine, which was one of the very worst periods in Irish history. We survived many turbulent moments to become one of the last working mills in Ireland.
Who decided to set up a woolen mill in Foxford?
Foxford Woolen Mills was founded by an Irish Sister of Charity in 1892. Sister Arsenius came from Cheltenham in England. After the potato famine, the west of Ireland was badly in need of charity. Sister Arsenius saw that Foxford needed industry, employment and activity. So many locals had died or emigrated to countries like the USA, so the mill was really important to introducing industry into the area. Sister Arsenius sought the help of John Charles Smith, a Protestant Freemason from Northern Ireland. Together they built the woollen mill in Foxford and it’s been working ever since!
Was Foxford Woolen Mills successful from the start?
Not quite! Anything worth doing takes time, as we know in Ireland. It was very difficult to build a working mill out of nothing and the early years were a real challenge. But the faith of the nuns who founded the mill and the hard work of the Mayo people persevered. By the early 20th century, the mill was already thriving. Our success is a story of Irish people pulling together, working together, locally, in Ireland, as we still do today.
What kind of work is done at Foxford Woolen Mills today?
The mill hasn’t changed very much since its foundation. It’s a healthy, thriving mill that employs master craftspeople. That’s important to us at a time when so many Irish crafts are under threat from modernization The mill is traditional and authentic in the methods we use to craft our Foxford blankets, scarves and throws. Since 1892, cloth has been woven and finished in Foxford. It’s so satisfying for us to see the looms still running.
What has helped Foxford Woolen Mills last for more than 100 years?
People want things that have a heritage, a story. People love to share these stories with the people they meet and the people they buy gifts for. Foxford Woolen Mills has a great story that’s woven into Irish history. When people hear we work for Foxford, they tell us about a baby blanket they were given as a child. Or they tell us about receiving a pair of Irish blankets as a wedding present 40 years ago. That’s history. We hear so many good memories about our products keeping people warm in the cold winter nights that go back well over 100 years.
What influence does your Mayo location have on the work Foxford Woolen Mills does?
We’re very lucky in Foxford. We have mountains, lakes, rivers and trees all around us. We’re so inspired by the landscape of rural Mayo. You can see it in the designs and colors we use, how they reflect the landscape of the west of Ireland.
What a great story! That’s all from me for this week. In the meantime shop our full range below and enjoy amazing discounts of up to 75% in our massive clearance sale!
Until next week…
Slán go fóill!
Lulu
5 comments
OMG! I love these blankets so much! Do you deliver to Canada?
Hello Janice,
We sure do! Check out our delivery and shipping info here: https://www.theirishstore.com/delivery-information
Thanks for your interest,
Antoinette, Blogger at TheIrishStore
are the scarves made locally from Irish wool?
Hi Steven.
All scarves are woven at the mill in Mayo. Originally Irish wool was used at Foxford and shearing of sheep by the Moy was a common sight. However local wool, apart requiring an environmentally demanding scouring process, is tough and only suitable for rough cloth. Sheep in Italy, France, the UK and Australia are specially bred for their wool.
Thanks for reading!
Lulu
I live in USA. Came across a Foxford Mills mohair rug, still with tags. Have had it several years. Can’t find info about it. What they sold for and are they still made? It’s value being new with tags? Were they really used as rugs? Seems more like a throw.