A Community-Led Revival
With support from the Offaly Creative Ireland Community Project Fund, the Shinrone Heritage Group partnered with artist Rosalind Fanning and tailor Bernie Stapleton to recreate the Shinrone Gown using traditional methods and materials. Their goal: to not only tell the story of the gown, but to imagine and honour the woman who once wore it.
To ensure historical accuracy, the project collaborated with a costume historian specialising in medieval Irish clothing, who guided the team in faithfully reproducing the gown’s construction, stitching techniques, and fabric.
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Workshops that Stitched a Community Together
At the heart of the project were a series of community workshops that offered participants hands-on experience with the materials and methods of early modern dressmaking. These included:
• Natural dyeing techniques
• Hand stitching and pattern making
• Fabric handling based on 17th-century tailoring
Participants came from all walks of life—young people, older adults, artists, teachers—each learning and contributing something meaningful.
One creative highlight was a Peg Doll Evening, where participants applied their skills to dress miniature dolls in period-style clothing. This interactive, fun session helped bring the process full circle in a way that was accessible and joyful.
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A Launch to Remember
The completed replica gown was unveiled during Heritage Week at a celebration that drew a large, diverse crowd. Live demonstrations by weavers and spinners added a rich, immersive dimension to the evening.
When historian Kass McCann had to cancel last minute, Laura Fitzachary, a specialist in Beauty, Art, Fashion and Cosmetic History, stepped in to deliver a captivating talk about the evolution of Irish fashion—and the place of the Shinrone Gown within it.
However, the most powerful moments came from Bernie Stapleton and Rosalind Fanning, who shared their emotional journey in recreating the dress. Their reflections gave voice and presence to a woman long lost to time. When the gown was finally revealed, the sense of awe in the room made it clear that this project had deeply resonated with the community.
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A Living Legacy
The project didn’t end with the launch. A short film was created to document the entire journey—from research to stitching to community engagement—extending its reach beyond County Offaly.
The replica gown now resides in the Shinrone School Museum, offering local people and visitors alike the chance to connect with this unique piece of Ireland’s past. In locating the replica gown to a local setting, the project emphasised the importance of decentralising our heritage—bringing history back into the hands of the communities it came from while ensuring the original remains in the guardianship of the National Museum of Ireland.
Over 160 people were directly involved in the project, each contributing to a meaningful act of collective memory and creativity.
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Conclusion: Restitching the Past
“Unstitching the Shinrone Gown” is a celebration of craft, heritage, and imagination. It proves that history doesn’t need to remain behind glass—it can be lived, touched, recreated, and shared. Through this project, a forgotten woman’s story is no longer silent. Her dress speaks once more.
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Learn More
• Watch the Unstitching the Shinrone Gown film