Origin Stories
Origin Stories | Máire
Written by Grace O'Connor
Máire has kept the same linen for fifty-one years. Her daughters learned to mend it. Her granddaughters are learning now.
1974
The linen came as part of her wedding trousseau in 1974 and is still in weekly use. It was not bought to be kept. It was bought to be used, which is why it survived.
Eleven repairs
It has been mended eleven times. She can tell you which repair belongs to which decade — the 1980s ones are neat, the 1990s ones are not, and the most recent were done by a granddaughter who is still learning.
A cloth with no mends in it is a cloth that was never trusted with anything.
What gets handed on
The trousseau goes to whoever uses it most. This has never been formally decided and is not open to discussion. More of these conversations are in the Journal.
Máire Ní Ríordáin
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the linen?
It came as part of Máire's wedding trousseau in 1974 and is still in weekly use.
How many times has it been mended?
Eleven. She can tell you which repair belongs to which decade.
What happens to it next?
It goes to whoever uses it most. This has never been formally decided and is not, she says, open to discussion.
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