SOUND ARCHIVE

Title: Living Linen Interview LL2_R02/05
Object Name: Sound Recording : Magnetic Tape, Reel
Maker: McGonigle, Moore (Mr) (Primary maker)
McGonigle, Moore (Mr) (interviewee)
Date Made: 17/01/2002
17/01/2002
Description: Sound Recording on Reel: William Clark. Library Transcript: Transcript. Summary: Mr McGonigle joined Clarks in 1949. During WWII, Clarks wove aero linens and made bullets. Clarks was very much a family firm. Mr McGonigle speaks highly of the factory manager - Mr Crowe - who served his time in Rosebank. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, the majority of cloth woven in Clarks was linen. Upperlands was a mixed factory, producing artists canvas, tea-towels, apparel cloth, book binding cloth, table linens and interlinings. Mr McGonigle became Preparation Manager and was responsible for the coordination of various departments prior to weaving. Clarks purchased yam from Hamilton McCleery, Greeves’, Andrews, Braidwater and Herdman’s amongst others. The factory used 14s - 60s and could weave cloth up to a maximum 55 inch wide. Each delivery of yarn was tested for strength and consistency. Clarks wove a lot of cloth, on a commission basis, for Moygashel and Lamonts. It was policy to weave to order rather than for stock. When Mr McGonigle joined Clarks they had 200 belt-driven looms. These were gradually replaced with automatic Northrop looms. Whereas one weaver could operate 4 shuttle looms, a weaver could manage up to 12 warp-stop Northrops. The looms were all plain or dobby. The dobbies were used to put customer’s names, for example hotels and hospitals, along the border. Clarks also had a bleaching, dyeing and finishing works on site. In the late 1940s Clarks employed some 500 people. Most were drawn from the village and surrounding area. Labour relations were excellent and the workforce was never unionised! Whip rounds were taken for workers who were leaving to get married. Wage levels were more or less governed by the Irish Power Loom Manufacturers Association. The Clady river has a considerable fall through Upperlands. The river was used for motive power. There were turbines and water wheels set up at a number of points along the river’s course. The weaving shed was extremely noisy. Nevertheless, the weavers seemed able to cany on a normal conversation. Linen yarn required a certain level of heat and humidity. There were humidifiers on the roof that were fed by water. If required, these humidifiers could produce a fine mist. In the summer months the alleys within the yarn store were watered to produce a certain level of humidity. The weaving shed could also have been a dangerous working environment. Flying ihuttles were one of the most common problems. The weavers took a great pride in their work and their looms were cleaned until they shone. Weavers were fined for sub-standard cloth. Workers were also fined for arriving late. As the factory hooter sounded each morning, there was no excuse! Up until 1953, Upperlands was served by a branch line. The factory had its own siding. There was a warehouse and stitching plant at Upperlands. The goods were also boxed on site - usually packed in green and marked with the trade name ‘Old Mill Brand’. A lot of cloth, however, went out in bales. The company also had a Belfast office. Upperlands was very much a mill village; the Clarks provided a tennis court, a recreation hall and other amenities for the village. The only pub is in the British legion Club! The factory owned all of the houses in the village. Mr McGonigle lived in a manager’s house free of charge. Some of the houses were lit by water power. Mr McGonigle served 49 years at Upperlands - retiring in 1998. Over these years, the workforce fell to ¼ of what it had been and the proportion of linen woven fell significantly.
Catalogue Number: HOYFM.R2002.25
Notes: National Museums NI

National Museums NI holds over a million objects in the collection, as well as this we manage the records and associated images for each object through a working database. The national collection has been almost 200 years in the making, and we recognise that thinking about collecting and collections has evolved over this time and continues to evolve. As a result, some of our records may contain language and views that we now consider offensive and unacceptable, for example, reflecting racist attitudes. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to reviewing and updating our records accordingly. Working with researchers, communities and academic partners we are learning more about the stories behind objects, and we are committed to sharing these with our audiences. We welcome feedback. Please email [email protected]