200 Years of Mountmellick Embroidery

Chronicling the legacy of Mountmellick Work. An exhibition of this world-famous heavy white on white hand embroidery will be showcased in the Gallery Mountmellick Library on 6th - 29th August 2026.
Created by Johanna Carter in Mountmellick, Co. Laois around 1825, it is unique as being the only 19th century embroidery that is entirely Irish in origin and design. Featuring bold motifs inspired by our local flora and fauna from the riverbanks and hedgerows, it is heavily textured and is designed to be used for bedspreads, table runners, nightdress cases, pillow shams and tablecloths.

In the early 19th century, girls in the Religious Society of Friends Quaker School in Mountmellick were tutored in this embroidery to earn money for their books. Later that century, female entrepreneurship saw ladies produce household linens to supplement their family income. In the Victorian era it became a celebrated middle-class pastime.

Some of the more recent pieces on display were created to celebrate historical occasions.

We invite you to come along and appreciate these impressively beautiful and stunning old and new pieces of Mountmellick Work.
This exhibition features a display of pieces from the mid-1800s to the present day, including historical and award-winning pieces.