An Exhibition The Art of the Stitch – The Legacy of Maude Kearney is now on display at Limerick Museum and will be on display until Wednesday 31st January 2024.
Maude Kearney (1873-1963) was one of the greatest figures in the history of Limerick lace. In 1904, she opened her lacemaking business the Thomond Lace Industry, revitalizing the art of Limerick lacemaking. At a time when women’s roles were largely confined to the home, Maude whizzed around in a sports car, ran a thriving commercial enterprise which provided a source of employment for at least fifty local women, built a property empire in Dublin – and all while caring for her family of five children. Maude was a Renaissance woman in the truest sense, and this exhibition celebrates her lasting legacy fifteen decades after her birth.