On Main Street in Ardara, County Donegal we met Eddie Doherty and his wife Evelyn. Donegal Tweed has been the heart and soul of this area in the north of Ireland for many generations. Eddie Doherty went to work in the mill at 16 years of age winding bobbins for the master weavers before being promoted to the weaver’s bench. When the mill closed he purchased one of the looms and continues to this day to craft traditional Donegal tweed there in his shop. We knew about his mission from the Northwest Ireland episode of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love. The four of us reveled in their hospitality. Eddie demonstrated the operation of the loom and talked weaving with Karen. Evelyn worked with us as we found treasures to take home with us, a cap for Steve, scarves for Lou, a pocket cape for Karen. She also speculated with us as to a possible connection to the Doherty’s in our family tree. At least one of us left a piece of her heart in Ardara.
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