If Walls Could Talk: Landmark to the linen industry now forever lost

Over the centuries, Limerick has lost many of its landmark buildings – some losses will be very familiar to readers of the Limerick Leader, others not so. One such building was the Linen Hall situated on Carr Street (now home to a partially erected building). Occupying a prominent position in the heart of Irishtown, the Linen Hall was central to efforts at promoting the textile industry in Limerick and the wider region.
According to Lenihan’s History of Limerick (1864), the Limerick Chamber of Commerce ‘began to initiate several movements for the development of industrial pursuits in Limerick and it gave premiums for the production of linen. It also built at a sizable cost, a Linen Hall.’
That project was announced in the Limerick Gazette on August 14, 1818: ‘the Grand Jury granted £300 to Joseph Massy Harvey, James Fisher and John McNamara, trustees for the promotion of industry in the county and city of Limerick.’
The Chamber of Commerce also provided £1,000 to the project to erect a ‘neat and convenient Linen Hall.’
During this period Irish linen was in high demand, and it was hoped that such an investment would provide much employment for the ‘many poor people, of both sexes.’
The site of an old tanyard was chosen as the plot on which to erect the Linen Hall. The original building was extensive and was reported to have had a ‘dome shaped roof with an imitation spinning wheel on top.’ The hall also housed a large committee room while the manager and his family lived onsite in purpose-built quarters. A large yard was attached to the building. The only visual record of its lost grandeur is found in the background of a photograph from the late-1980s. On the site of the Linen Hall was found a building featuring six tall Gothic arches; the second floor had been replaced by a crude galvanised roof. Another section of the Linen Hall complex that survived until about 1990 was possibly the offices and living quarters. Several photographs of this section are available. This part of the Linen Hall was a two-storey, six-bay building featuring a Georgian doorcase with fanlight surmounted in dressed limestone.

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The Linen Hall was not exclusively reserved for dealing in textiles, and by May 1820, the Limerick Savings Bank was operating from it. In July of the same year, the bank’s annual accounts were printed in the Limerick Chronicle by its secretary, Mr A Abell. The bank was a successful endeavour and held over £1700 on deposit. Pigot’s Directory of 1824 gave the address of the Limerick Savings Bank as the Linen Hall, Carr Street.
The Linen Hall was a bustling place of business, and the sale of linen, yarn and flax was accommodated. Markets were held over two days and there were also rooms for the reception and sale of brown and white lines. To promote the production of good quality textiles, the Chamber of Commerce gave financial incentives for the best linen, flax, and yarn sold each day. The Linen Hall was a commercial success according to accounts published on December 31, 1833. The enterprise held over £4670 on account. Its yearly expenditure included one year’s salary to the secretary (£130), porter’s wages (£15), stationery, printing, and newspapers (£12), and a ‘frame for the names of trustees’ (2 shillings).
Textiles included fleece, hackled flax, raw flax, wool, and yarn while the manufacturing equipment consisted of looms, wheels, reels and sets of hackles (tools used to work the flax).
The first manager was Terence Brady who died in January 1842 at the Linen Hall. His obituary described him as ‘former Sergeant-Major of the County Limerick Regiment: a truly honest and worthy man.’
Besides banking, other commercial activities took place in the Linen Hall. For example, in 1836, a meeting of the Farming Society was held at the premises chaired by John Green of Greenmount House, Patrickswell. The society held its annual show of stock at the large yard attached to the Linen Hall and presented awards to members residing in Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, and the City of Limerick. Prize categories included ‘best milch cow’, ‘best Durham breed’ and ‘best pen of ewes’. Notice of the event was circulated in the local press by the secretary of the Linen Hall, James Bodkin who also acted as local contact for the Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland. Bodkin died suddenly at his house, 54 William Street in 1847 leaving behind a wife and family.
Although the Linen Hall traded successfully under the management of the Chamber of Commerce for about 30 years, the concern was leased to private interests from the 1840s when Egan and Browne, local merchants became the occupiers. In 1846, they invited members of the public to inspect the ‘shawls, checks and ginghams’ manufactured by the Distressed Weavers of Limerick and offered for sale at the Linen Hall. Thomas Browne was the sole proprietor by 1848 and was very active in promoting the production and consumption of local manufactures.
Thomas Browne died in 1851 and was buried in his native town of Kilmihil, Co Clare.
Thereafter, newspaper reports of the Linen Hall appear less frequently until about 1865 when it was described as the ‘old linen hall’ the site having been taken over by the extensive engineering business of James McFarlane.
When the 1871 OS map was published, the Linen Hall was not recorded. By 1911, the site was in use as a yard by Boyds. It remained in the ownership of the Chamber when it was sold to Lanigan Brothers for development.
It was subsequently demolished, thereby removing another landmark building and enterprise that played an important role in promoting homegrown industry and creating employment in the city.