The Dun Emer Guild (1902–1964) was an Irish Arts and Crafts textile studio founded in 1902 by Evelyn Gleeson, initially in partnership with

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

and Lily Yeats as Dun Emer Industries and

Press Press may refer to: Media * Publisher * News media * Printing press, commonly called "the press" * Press TV, an Iranian television network Newspapers United States * ''The Press'', a former name of ''The Press-Enterprise'', Riverside, California ...

History

The Dun Emer Guild was the textile producing arm of Dun Emer Industries, which was founded in 1902 by Evelyn Gleeson,

and her sister Lily Yeats with funding from

Augustine Henry Augustine Henry (2 July 1857 – 23 March 1930) was a British-born Irish plantsman and sinologist. He is best known for sending over 15,000 dry specimens and seeds and 500 plant samples to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. By 1930, he was a re ...

and a sum of money Gleeson inherited. The company was run out of Gleeson's home, Dun Emer in Dundrum. The house and administration of the company was overseen by Gleeson's widowed sister, Constance MacCormack. MacCormack and her three children, Kitty, Grace, and Edward lived with Gleeson after the death of MacCormack's husband . The Dun Emer studio and press were named after

Emer Emer (), in modern Irish or (with variations including , and ) and in Scottish Gaelic , is the name of the daughter of Forgall Monach and the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Legend ''Tochmarc Emire' ...

, daughter of Forgall Monach, wife of the hero Cúchulainn in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Do ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

, a figure famous for her artistic skills. The Guild's workshops were located on the top floor of Dun Emer. The stated aim of the Dun Emer Guild was "to find work for Irish hands in the making of beautiful things". Their products regularly won prizes at exhibitions run by the Irish Industries Association and the

Royal Dublin Society The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) () is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economically. It was long active as a learned ...

. The Guild exhibited at the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, in the United States as part of the Irish Industrial Exhibition. The Guild became noted for their hand woven carpets and tapestries which incorporated

Celtic knot Celtic knots (, , , ) are a variety of knots and Style (visual arts)#Stylization, stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, used extensively in the Celtic style of Insular art. These knots are most known for their adapta ...

work and interlace, such as the tapestry panel of ''A voyage to Tir-na-noge'' designed by Mary Galway Houston in 1903. By 1908, Gleeson's and the Yeats sisters' relationship had become strained, with the Yeats sisters leaving Dun Emer with their private press, which they renamed the

Cuala Press The Cuala Press was an Irish private press set up in 1908 by Elizabeth Yeats with support from her brother William Butler Yeats that played an important role in the Celtic Revival of the early 20th century. Originally Dun Emer Press, from 1908 ...

. Gleeson continued as the Dun Emer Guild designing and creating textiles. By this time her two nieces, Kitty and Grace, along with Henry's niece May Kerley, were all employed in the Guild, as well as bookbinder Norah Fitzpatrick, and

Máire Nic Shiubhlaigh Máire Nic Shiubhlaigh (8 May 1883 – 1958) was an Irish actress and republican activist. She started acting in her teens and appeared in the first Irish-language play performed in Ireland. She was a founder-member of the Abbey Theatre and ...

. Some of the most notable works from the Guild are the tapestries for the

Honan Chapel The Honan Chapel (, formally Saint Finbarr's Collegiate Chapel and The Honan Hostel Chapel) is a small Catholic church built in the Hiberno-Romanesque revival style on the grounds of University College Cork, Ireland. Designed in 1914, the build ...

, Cork in 1917, the vestments for St Patrick's church, San Francisco in 1923, and a carpet presented to

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

in 1931. The carpet was commissioned in an effort by Ireland's ambassador to the Vatican, Charles Bewley, to secure Ireland as the host of the 1932 International Eucharistic Congress. As "The Pope's Carpet" it was exhibited in

Clerys Clerys was a long-established department store on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland, a focal point of the street. The business dates from 1853, however the current building dates from 1922, the original having been completely destroyed in the 1916 ...

from 19 to 30 January 1931. A dress designed by MacCormack for Clare Kennedy, the wife of Hugh Kennedy, is on display as part of the exhibition ''The Way We Wore'' in the

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland () is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has three branches in Dublin, the arch ...

at Collins Barracks. After Gleeson's death in 1944, MacCormack continued to run Dun Emer Guild until its store on

Harcourt Street Harcourt Street (Irish: Sráid Fhearchair) is a street located in Dublin City, Ireland. Location It is a little over in length with its northerly start at the south-east corner of St Stephen's Green and terminates in the south at the poi ...

closed .

References

{{reflist 1902 establishments in Ireland Arts and Crafts movement Companies based in Dublin (city)