CAP sat down with Pete Haughey from New Town Together Men’s Shed to discuss their Flax to Linen project

Where did the idea start from?

I suppose it was a wee notion I got during lockdown. About growing a bit of flax. Basically at the beginning we just wanted to grow flax, just to see it growing and tha. And then I thought why not do the full thing so as to go from flax to linen. I think we couldn’t have done it at a better time as there seems to be a lot of interest in flax and linen in Northern Ireland. There seems to be an interest in reviving it. So, we started off with planting the seeds in a wee bit of ground and brought it through the different stages and we waited for the blue flowers which is the exciting bit.

What was the process for bringing flax to linen?

We had to learn this process. We started off knowing nothing about it. We could throw seeds on to the ground and that’s all we knew about it. And we knew there’s going to be a blue flower but that was about it.

We planted the seed on the 8th of April 20, 2023 and then we pulled it 98 days later, in early August. So then there was the retting process after that; it was put into the retting tank and then after that it was dried out of course and then it was scutched. And we’re at the stage now where we are straightening it, combing it and we’re spinning it into the yarn. We did that two weeks ago and today we are weaving it as you can see.

So that was the whole project from flax to linen. We didn’t ever think we would get to this stage to make linen. I know it’s not a lot. It isn’t much, but it proves that we can do it. And it’s a great project. I would say as well that the learning of the whole situation was brilliant, our trips and all were brilliant, going to the different museums and flax mills and all. That was fantastic. We went to Mullins Farm up in Cookstown. We went to McConville’s Mill several times, maybe three or four times. We went to Norman Kerrs’  Museum down in Banbridge, Laurencetown. We were there twice. So that is all part of the learning process of what to do.

Who did you meet along the way?

That’s where funding was very useful to go and learn about the process and its history and to go to all these different places and talk to a lot of people. I’ve talked to an awful lot of people. Una Walsh was great. She came down and did all our talks and exhibits and showed all the stuff that she had, she was brilliant. She spent a few days with us, she was always on the ball. The project opened so many doors, but never mind the whole project, never mind the bit of linen we’ll make. All of that is fantastic but the amount of doors the project has opened for this group and for myself. Fantastic to meet other people, to meet other groups. Like, there’s Leo and Mairead down today. And the Linen Biennale NI 2023. I just met them on the bus tour. And through networking with Hilltown Community Association, they were doing a wee trip one day around the flax mills.

The Linen Biennale NI ran these tours around the mills so we booked in on that and we got talking to Medbh. I was looking for a weaver and spinner and that was the brick wall, but we did find it with Caroline Shimmons who was also on the trip, as well. We met her on the bus.  So, it’s opened so many doors, but you have to be very open to this yourself. Like I was always open to meeting people and asking questions and to push yourself into other groups. I’ve got involved there with another wee group in County Down as well the Moneydarragh Hub. So I’ve been down with them too and met people there through the linen and have been down there to watch them weaving one day. And again Bronagh McAtasney who does the film archives for NI Screen, I met her down there. She came up here and showed all the videos here, all the old films on flax. Fascinating. Brilliant. And as well as all the learning that we already had it added to it because you’re seeing it actually done in front of your eyes. The old way of pulling it from the flax hole and drying it. It was all brilliant.

Why is it that this is important to remember?

Well, our ancestors in this part of the world all grew flax and depended on flax. During the war years it was a very big crop to grow.  It was used for many things. Of course, it was used for the fancy linen tablecloths, but it was also used a lot for the army and even wings and planes and different things like that.

There was a flax industry way back in the 1800’s into the late fifties and early sixties. So I would actually have been born in the Flax era but I don’t remember it now.  I was born in 56 so there would have still been flax, but I always heard about the flax. That’s really all I heard in my younger days was about the flaxholes. All around here. Around here it’s called a flaxhole, some places would call it a lint hole, some other places call it a retting dam and there’s all different names for it but around here they called it a flax hole. So if you get into that room and ask any of them if you know what a flax hole is they’ll say oh yes, there’s one at the bottom of our field. There’s one up the road, we used to pass on the way to school. So there’s all these memories of flax holes, but nobody knew about the flax. So that is why we did it.

We brought in so many people from outside our group. Just to see what’s going on with this Flax. We had a fantastic turn out that day we pulled the flax; we had 60 people gathered to see the pulling of the flax. Two men would have probably pulled that in an hour. But there were 60 people called down to pull a bunch of flax. I’m sure there’s been lots of mistakes but, sure, it’s all part of the learning process. We’ll turn it into a video and we’ll have that on our page and it’s good for us as a group as it lets people know that we don’t just come in here, sit and drink coffee and talk nonsense, we do that as well. We do plenty of that. And that’s needed. But it’s good that it lets people know that we do interesting projects. We’re not only making bird boxes and timber stuff, but this flax project is different thing

And this project involves the women’s shed, the She Shed. You can see them all involved today. They’re involved in spinning and weaving and loving it. It involves a lot of people. I’m going down to showcase the flax in Virginia, Co. Cavan on the 20th of November with the Irish Men’s Shed Association and we’re going on Saturday to Hilltown to showcase it there as well. So it’s just opened so many doors. That’s the beauty about it. There’s people in this room that I would never have met if only for the flax.

What are some of the surprises that you’ve sort of encountered as you’ve gone through this process?

That’s one of the things that really jumps out to me is the work that was involved. You know, the amount of work like. In our case here there’s a lot of work but it’s mostly a lot of involvement, a lot of organizing. But it just brought home to me how hard my ancestors worked.

New Town Together Mens Shed (Facebook)

The project was funded by Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery fund and Linen Biennale 2023.

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New Belfast Community Arts Initiative trading as Community Arts Partnership is a registered charity (XR 36570) and a company limited by guarantee (Northern Ireland NI 37645).Registered with The Charity Commission as New Belfast Community Arts Initiative - NIC105169.