It’s been a week since we had our very successful online launch of the Common Threads: Laces across the border and we’ve had a bit of time to come down off the high of being involved in such an amazing project. It’s also been a chance to get a bit of rest and put the feet up after all the many months of preparation. However, we have so many to thank for making it the extraordinary event it was. Firstly we would like the Borris Lacemakers Group for being up for the challenge and joining us to show case our respective lace-making traditions through this project. It has been a pleasure getting to know you all.
We are also immensely grateful to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for the funding which made this cross-border project possible in the first place.
Thank you to the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for their support with the project and to Therese Hamill in particular for her ongoing advice and guidance from the outset. To Councillor Laura Devlin, Minister Malcolm Noonan, and Conor Murphy MLA we offer our heartfelt thanks for your valuable contribution in helping to open last week’s event.
A very special word of thanks to Mark from 8990 for all the filming and editing of the Common Threads films series and our unveiling; all of which were so eautifully done.
To Gaye Grant, The Fennel Shed & Nicola Doherty-Roe, Old Schoolhouse Quilts, Buncrana, Donegal for working with us to create such beautiful quilted patchworks.
We are incredibly grateful to the McGeeney family, Clonalig for their generosity in allowing us to use their exquisite cottage in Clonalig to provide the perfect backdrop to this film. Grateful thanks is also extended to Sharon & Padraig Carragher for allowing us to film the unveiling of our Memory Quilt at Bluebell Lane.
We are so very grateful to all our Lacemakers for creating beautiful pieces for our memory quilt… our Carrickmacross Lace tradition is safe in your hands. To all the project team at the South Armagh Lace Collective Team for their tireless work behind the scenes… you were fantastic. A special mention goes out to Mary McMahon for helping us all down through the years. God bless those hands of yours.
A final word of thanks to our audience and all you who joined us last week for our online celebration and have sent us such wonderful comments over the last week. We are delighted that you enjoyed it all. This was no easy feat in the current climate we live in but as one commentator said, ‘ Well done all involved – border proof, virus proof – unstoppable!’ Many, many thanks to each and every one of you.
For those of you who weren’t able to join us last week, both Part 1 and Part 2 of the events is available for viewing on our Common Threads: Laces across the border YouTube channel here.
