Hands: Donegal Carpets

RTÉ documentary series exploring the craft traditions of Ireland. hands.ie/ Filmed in 1978.
visitkillybegs.com/carpet-fact...

[@benji.B-side]

I'm hooked on watching these documentaries. There is so much to learn and admire!

[@simeonbanner6204]

ha ha me too.

[@philcruttwell2388]

The skill and craft of the weaving team are amazing. Q

[@jamesaritchie1]

Sadly, there isn't enough time in our lives to learn more than a small fraction of what I want to know.

[@sabrinagana]

Same. KZbin is poppin with algorithmic super obscure niche choices lately. Or 3 years ago. Both.

[@Redman147]

Watching this reminds me of my mother. We did a lot of weaving, spinning, creating yarns and such. We even dyed our own yarn in the old school ways using activated charcoal and different types of plants. Way the most amazing time of my life.

[@vedicleo5286]

I grew up a stones throw away from that carpet factory in Killybegs. And my father once worked there as an electrician. I have fond memories of my sister, brother and I stealing our fathers keys and sneaking in to the factory at night and running amok through the piles of wool in the attic. It's such a shame the factory closed.

[@markonefly]

Thanks to all people of donegal, and those whom are very Artistic, God bless

[@maryjaneseymour3479]

Amazing. The carpets are true works of art.

[@kevinjamesdawes7223]

I was a tackler in a preserved victorian mill, I tricky labour intensive job, but we were children compared to these ladies.

[@technomickdocumentalist2495]

What a fine library of documentaries you have here, loving this opportunity for a full good look into a window of yesteryear that all this series of “ handmade “ documentaries is able to offer. Excellent uploads ❤ and a big thank you for doing so. 💯🙏 new subscriber here. ❤

[@bigredc222]

Donegal carpets is still in business, custom carpets cost $58.00 a square foot, that makes a 10'x15' carpet almost $9000.00. Good video Thanks

[@Smallpotato1965]

that's still cheap. As said, a skilled worker can do about 400 square centimeters a day. A square foot is 900 square centimeters, so a foot of carpet represents more than two days work. Add to that the cost of wool, twine, design and overhead costs and I simply can't understand how anyone could live off a salary of three dollars an hour

[@Smallpotato1965]

also, that carpet would take five weavers fourteen weeks to knot. Think of that. Even if the wool, design and overheadcosts were free, each weaver would take home only 128 dollars a week. But of course all these things would take at least half of that, so the weavers would get 60 bucks a week. Let's say a skilled worker would have to earn at least 10 bucks a hour. I mean, it would be slightly above 'working at McDonalds serving fries', but let's take ten bucks as the very minimum. Then five weavers weaving eight hours for fourteen weeks... the weaving alone would cost you 28.000 dollars!

[@bigredc222]

@@Smallpotato1965 You're jumping to a lot of conclusions over a simple comment. I didn't say whether it was cheap or expensive, I was just stating what it cost. I a firm believer in paying for quality if you can afford it.

[@meridethtexastwister]

How have I never heard about this? What an interesting film. I had to watch it a couple of times. This was a trade a person could be apprenticed for. Look how young and proud they are. In the beginning of the film. Later a bit older and wiser. Still smiling and proud of their Craft.

[@blipblip88]

I love the music in this series. Harpsichord! So nice!!

[@andreaknight6288]

Fav series ever

[@CuriosityShopDotWorld]

These documentaries are fascinating

[@chainman100]

Its a shame that this factory is no longer making carpets. The Killybegs carpet factory is now a museum run by volunteers, glad its not lost forever.

[@kengamble8595]

REALLY !! Oh crap, sorry to hear that ! I liked the idea that this place was still going !

[@chainman100]

@@kengamble8595 closed in 1987 reopened in 1999 as the museum now.

[@kengamble8595]

@@chainman100 Thanks!

[@johndonnellan5794]

Why didn’t the Irish government step in and make it a living national treasure and keep it running even if it was not quite at budget.the amount of tourism into the factory would probably pay the wages alone

[@Dial8Transmition]

@@johndonnellan5794 the problem there is that the government doesn't care about Irish history, culture or people

[@lexaharpell5196]

I had a fabulous opportunity to see the Donegal Carpet factory a few years ago and 'tried' to loop the wool on a sample carpet piece. What a fabulous experience and history of craftsmanship. Was staying at Glencolmcille for a few months absorbing Donegal's people, countryside and culture. Love Australia. xxx

[@harryoliver1130]

I am truly loving this series about the People from where my Grandfather's family originates! Born in Summerside in Prince Edward Island, he was very skilled in many sufficient areas. Both my Mom's parents were wonderful teachers for me as a youngster. Grandma's family came from Antigonish in Nova Scotia, of very Acadian stock. They met in southern Alberta and knew how to be very self-sufficient.

[@diane9247]

Delightful film!

[@tommcclelland119]

Very interesting. Hello from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. These are the old ways of my ancestral home. Thank you for sharing.

[@elviramcintosh9878]

Beautiful works of art. Thank you for letting us into this world of carpet making.

[@RobertLock1978]

Sad to see the company closed, but great to see that it's reopened as a museum :)

[@Jerseyhighlander]

Incredible skill & craftsmanship, performed by such dedicated people and in such a beautiful old building. If only I could afford to buy one...

[@johnnoonan4775]

So glad they decided to rerun this series of docs. They're so well made. From the shots, to the simple narrative to the way they let the precise narration explain the sometimes very complex work being done while keeping a human feel to the overall piece. Brilliant series of films. These must have taken a long time to make between preproduction and editing WITH FILM. Great.

[@getin3949]

Too bad the closed captioning is waaay off.

[@esotericexplorersmartinez493]

get in it’s because there accents. I know I love watching videos with subtitles too it’s can be kinda annoying the random words the subtitles come up with trying to make sense of the accents but oh well still a great series ❤️

[@esotericexplorersmartinez493]

Come to think of it this one wasn’t so bad have u seen the bee keeper one omg that one was hilariously off but I couldn’t understand the only man anyways super beautiful accents tho

[@johnnoonan4775]

@@esotericexplorersmartinez493 No, haven't seen that one. haha I suppose you'd allow 'em one bad performance anyway though if the rest of them are good. Ya our accents are ok I suppose. Although I'm from the south, we tend to sound more like severely drunken Jamaicans who just came out of a dental surgery, but look I suppose we got to be thankful for what we got and try and play to our strengths ya know!!!

[@esotericexplorersmartinez493]

@john noonan it’s not a bad performance at all it’s the American BOT subtitles that can’t understand so they just guess the word that sounds like what there saying. The accents are amazing and gorgeous I just can’t understand the really thick ones when they speak so quickly but it’s still beautiful to listen too

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

My family and I spent near a month in Ireland with 2 weeks in Killybegs. Lovely place, warm and friendly people. We visited Donegal Carpets, amazing place.

[@bittenandreasen5426]

The real life artists !!!!

[@pauldhennessey]

Could never imagined how much work goes into making a carpet. Amazing

[@emmanichol3613]

I bet those carpets feel amazing under bare feet, like walking on air👍🏻

[@elizzievb]

Fascinating and so beautiful! So great to see this tradition of work still surviving. Thank you for this great video!

[@childoftheuniverse2644]

Astonishing result of such heavy and delicate work!

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

Good grief, what an enormous amount of effort resulting in unbelievably fantastic quality carpets. A great video again. Thank you so much for uploading and sharing this old documentary.

[@ayla1316]

Been watching your videos all morning, they are wonderful. Thank you so much for uploading them.

[@mrs.cracker4622]

Thank you very much for sharing this!

[@getin3949]

Wonderful video, saints with patience. I've never been one to be able to perform repetitious tasks so this would be a straight jacket end result for me. Never enjoyed a video more than this one. Excellent narration, proper facts, a winner all around.

[@kennylong7281]

What an amazing handiwork! I hope these beautiful carpets are still being made. What a national treasure for the Scotts, and for all Europe!

[@maggielarkin9314]

Not a Scottish national treasure... these are made in Donegal , in Ireland

[@dracovenit9549]

To buy an antique one it could cost you $50,000! That shows how much this craft is valued!

[@davidchristensen6908]

I want to find a new carpet lay on it an just feel it with my hands and look at it very very closely. So it would have to be new. What a work of art everyone is.

[@mikekavanagh8952]

Excellent Presentation,

[@MarcMercier1971]

This documentary series was like a death curse to just about every company highlighted in each episode. I haven't found one yet that is still in existence (book binder, clay pipes, now carpets.. all out of business).

[@bigbearfuzzums7027]

I'm afraid they call it progress wether it be for someone else's pocket or distance to the grave their mum as to eithers turn?

[@MarcMercier1971]

@@bigbearfuzzums7027 Historically on family owned businesses... the 3rd generation tends to kill a business. In this case it is simply "progress". The book binding and clay pipe factory was enthralling to me. Sad they're gone.

[@scottmclennan6114]

I think the saddlery and bookbinders are still in business, but as you say, many of the others were killed off by changing times.

[@kengamble8595]

I believe that the metal foundry that was on one of these documentaries is still in business, don't know about the rest.

[@johndonnellan5794]

Globalism and the curse of the rich is upon the western nations to reduce their influence by bringing in immigrants to divide the society and breed out the native population and also companies go offshore to compete because protection barriers (import duties etc) are dropped creating free trade everywhere,the result rich fat cats ,poor populace with no political or economic clout, a case of full spectrum dominance from a political sense and the native population dispossessed or genocided eventually

[@hopecrosbie8244]

I'm hooked these are amazing. Thank you for showing these and the amazing people those talents produced theses great products.

[@Reymundodonsayo]

Did anyone notice the triplets rolling the carpet?:)

[@Ivehadenuff]

I wish I could own one of these beautiful carpets.

[@miekadegerness67]

beautiful carpets . would at one time have loved to learn how to do this , Now my eyes don't see so well

[@TheFiown]

What a trip into the pre import past ,,,,, 1970's I suppose ,,, my youth ,,,

[@davidhoekje7842]

79-86 was the period when these films were made i believe

[@kristin1980uk]

My Grandma worked here, in the 1920/30s, would really love to visit at some point x

[@kristin1980uk]

My Grandma’s best friend was called Bella McGee. I wonder if the lady is her daughter x

[@kristin1980uk]

My Grandma was Ellen Gallagher (Nellie).

[@bollocksoplenty1161]

Look at those Irish beauties - and the carpets are pretty too.

[@amitj7373]

Beautiful work done by beautiful Irish girls.. 😄😄

[@thechaddad1609]

Indeed!

[@esotericexplorersmartinez493]

Who Evers disliking these videos... sleep with one eye open. 😉 lol

[@ParttimePilgrim]

Wow. Just Wow. How do they keep moths away i wonder?

[@Maha1J]

❤️

[@kaptainkaos1202]

I’m so surprised there’s no chit chat going on the bench.

[@Roses-lilac]

23:24 is the Oval Office.

[@timhull8664]

If they are still in business, their carpets are going to be a pretty penny..

[@maxfieldblue]

Great video, only problem is I want one now !!!!

[@bridgetcarr6884]

Have you the Hands programme on Telephonists in Dublin, early 80s please

[@PeaceLoveAndRico]

people have seen me as queer, ever since i can remember, for not wanting to 'buy' things when i could learn to create them myself. always the arguments "but it's more convenient", and "we'll be having fun while you're spending all that time working!" . but i find the act of working to create something, more fun than convenience. convenience kills creativity and innovation!

[@milliebanks7209]

Is there anyway to purchase one of these carpets today?

[@alansimpson2647]

Wool store, a heaven for moths!

[@zoesdada8923]

How can I get one of these?

[@julien23lastchristmas2]

in north africa we make a good carpet too and the method of work is not so different than Irish method

[@CuriosityShopDotWorld]

I tried to find info, there is a company in the internet making Donegal Carpets but it's not the same anymore, right? I don't fully understand, is there still a factory in Killybegs working?

[@janskeet1382]

“If there was anything better that wool, sheep would have it on their backs!”

[@user-wf2qj4ck5d]

Somebody please who knows something about the music in the beginning?

[@Richie8a8y]

It’s a slipjig, the tune is The Butterfly - I’m pretty sure. Gorgeous isn’t it?

[@brianmarshall6672]

I can’t even keep my headphones from getting tangled…….wtf

[@isacchris1]

The old daisy chain technique. Also an anti theft system because nobody knows how to untie it.

[@joshuaszeto]

I wonder what would have happened if you poked your head in the door and yelled "MARY!!!"

[@johnmorrissey397]

😅

[@welshpete12]

:-)

[@metricstormtrooper]

Wow, the manager can wind a handle, who would have thought?

[@annekabrimhall1059]

Is this carpet factory still in operation?

[@humblehombre9904]

I’d think boiling the “hanks” of wool for dying would remove a great deal of the natural lanolin. Does this help or hinder the wool? Do they replace it later, I wonder. If anyone knows I would thank you for your input. Regards.

[@bethkolle1]

Yes, scouring the wool will separate the lanolin from the wool. Usually this is done when the wool has not yet been spun. Spinning oil can be used for hand spinning to ease the process of drafting the fleece as it’s spun, but this yarn was commercially spun so that was likely not used. Lanolin will resist the dye, so the spun wool will have no lanolin so it will take up the dye.

[@humblehombre9904]

@@bethkolle1 thank you very much. That is a lot of work. I wish sometimes it was still that way today.

[@bethkolle1]

There are lots of hand-spinners, never fear! There are teaching videos on KZbin, search under ‘spinning yarn’. It’s very satisfying and you get beautiful, unique yarn for knitting, crochet or weaving.

[@AlehandrosArhangelos]

Keeping the yarns in skeins instead of cones is the worst thing you can do, it can tangle beyond repair and it s not easily stored or transfered.

[@eunicestone6532]

You wouldthink they would unravel woth trimming it like that.

[@TrueBlueEG8]

Donegal girls are just gorgeous.

[@geraldneary1948]

What's wrong with your own girls are you gay or something.

[@TS-1267]

,,, I'd Say the Right Man Won, Good Match. CHEERS ALOT. ,,, ✅✅✅

[@eunicestone6532]

I see a couple of people with white patches in their hair. Relatives? Thats where the angels kissed them in the womb.

[@FigaroHey]

Forty years on, is there any fishing industry left in that village, I wonder? Or are the fish all gone?

[@Daisy-ct3nh]

Killybegs is a large fishing port, but is being destroyed by the EU and their meat puppets in the so-called Irish government

[@johnprice7303]

Beautiful carpets made by beautiful dark haired colleens.

[@blokprintzprintwithpaint972]

How do you pronounce your name? Snadge-huse?

[@Lawiah0]

The Magnificent Adam-man ... Cush (Greek: Ethiopia), means sun-burnt Phoenicians described by the Greeks, as fair-haired, fair-skinned people Persia means Lord of the Aryans now renamed IRAN ... 12 Tribes passed through the Caucasus Mountains (i)ssac's Sons / Saxons / Anglo-Saxons / Europe / Australia / New Zealand / North America / First World

[@Daisy-ct3nh]

Tribe of Dan= Tuatha de Danan, Denmark,Danube

[@Lawiah0]

@@Daisy-ct3nh Aye Brother Tribe of Dan (Denmark, Dan's Mark) The Christian Race is true Jacob/Israel

[@User0000000000000004]

My god that looks painfully slow.

[@salvagemonster3612]

It is so refreshing to watch true artists at work. Hey millennials and Gen Z take a note. Twerking and getting tattoos on Tik Tok isn’t a skill

[@Roses-lilac]

The White House has one of these carpets. Unless Trump got rid if it!!

[@mariantreber8055]

Your hate is showing and blinding you. He is working for all the people of the world, so you will be free and not enslaved. Time to realize.

[@maggielarkin9314]

Marian Treber...go away please..

[@Roses-lilac]

@@maggielarkin9314 Marián is in denial. You know the definition of denial? Sincere delusion. Mental hospitals used to be full of people like that. 😂

[@mariantreber8055]

Why? Can't take real truth? You will see. Watch yt channel Greg Bradford and others that show the trickery and fraud. All the world needs to know. You WILL see because it's all coming out. I'm not going away. Truth comes to the surface because we're leaving the evil age behind. Royalty included.

[@aryaprincess2479]

14:20 it is shameful to call it a turkish knot, the turks never had real carpet weaving. They took over Byzantium and all of the arts were renamed as if they were turkish. The turks were nomads, they barely had a cuisine or any art form. It is evident that when they took over Byzantium they pretty much destroyed the old world and brought about the dark ages to the rest of the Europe at the absence of the continuous civilization that lied there.

[@bigredc222]

Donegal carpets is still in business, custom carpets cost $58.00 a square foot, that makes a 10'x15' carpet almost $9000.00. Good video Thanks