Our journey to Áras an Uachtaráin began almost 25 years ago in the year 2000, on a cold February morning, when a very important request was received here at the mill. We learned that the Office of Public Works (OPW) were embarking on a major project to replace the carpets in the public reception rooms of The President’s residence, and this would involve recreating Raymond McGraths original designs. McGrath was the Chief Architect of the OPW and oversaw a major refurbishment of the house in the 1950s, including the creation of the original public room carpets.
As one of the last mills in Ireland still dyeing yarns, our expertise was sought after to recreate the bespoke colours used to weave the magnificent patterns. The centrepiece of the main carpet depicts a phoenix rising from the flames along with four heads on each corner. These reference the riverine figures of James Gandon’s Custom House representing the principal rivers of Ireland.
The task we were given was very much about colour precision and accuracy for which our master dyer, Jim Ryan, was the ideal person. And so began the dyeing process. The white yarns were carefully prepared and delicately hank dyed, a signature method we use at the mill.
It allows us to be more sympathetic to the fibres and provides our yarns a high level of colour definition. Before dyeing, Jim 'tweaked' the dye recipes to ensure exact matches to the original pieces.
His experienced eye is better than any machine when it comes to colour tones!
The new yarns were then carefully packed up and dispatched to Donegal Carpets where the new carpets were woven by the descendants of those who created the original ones back in the 1950s.
This autumn of 2024, we were honoured to receive an invitation from his Excellency the President to visit Áras an Uachtaráin and take a trip down memory lane to see (and feel!) our work from a quarter of a century ago. We are happy to say that it is still as vibrant and beautiful as the day it began its journey in our small woollen mill in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny.
A huge thank you to President Higgins and his wife Sabina for their generous hospitality and to all the staff at Áras an Uachtaráin for making our visit so memorable.
Míle buíochas libh go léir.
