BBC documentary delves into the linen industry in Down and Armagh sparked by the restoration of a 200-year-old loom

By Carmel Robinson
Published 3rd Jun 2025, 17:12 BST

Scratch marks on the side of a 200-year-old loom, sharing part of the name of a renowned master weaver, led a BBC documentary maker on a history tour our local linen industry.

James Greene from the Bleary area worked at McCollum’s mill in Waringstown in the 1950s as a Master Weaver creating many of the finest damask linen pieces, some of which were especially ordered by royalty.

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James Greene, from Bleary, Co Down, who worked as a master weaver at McCollum's Mill in Waringstown, Co Down. He features in a new BBC documentary 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' which follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores a 200-year-old loom. It is available on the BBC iPlayer.placeholder image
James Greene, from Bleary, Co Down, who worked as a master weaver at McCollum's Mill in Waringstown, Co Down. He features in a new BBC documentary 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' which follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores a 200-year-old loom. It is available on the BBC iPlayer.

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It was his name which was partially scratched onto a section of an old giant loom, thought to date back some 200 years, and what prompted master handloom weaver Deborah White to investigate its history.

The BBC TV documentary ‘The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver’, features Deborah who is also a handloom weaver and ‘one of the last in Ireland’ – part of a dwindling group of people who are masters of the centuries old craft of weaving.

She wanted to bring the 200-year-old loom ‘back to life’ after she took possession of it in 2018 and it was in an extreme state of disrepair.

Bleary native James Greene, who was a master weaver at a mill in Waringstown, had etched part of his name on a giant loom. When the 200-year-old loom was discovered in a poor state of repair, his name helped revive the history of the loom. 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' is a documentary series that follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores a 200-year-old loom.placeholder image
Bleary native James Greene, who was a master weaver at a mill in Waringstown, had etched part of his name on a giant loom. When the 200-year-old loom was discovered in a poor state of repair, his name helped revive the history of the loom. 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' is a documentary series that follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores a 200-year-old loom.

She discovered it was last used in 1968. It had been used for centuries to create bespoke linens for ‘Cardinals, Maharajas and Indian princes’.

"It was only when we started to clean that the provenance started to unfold and the history of the loom started to reveal itself,” she said.

It came from John McCollum’s mill at Annaghanoon in Waringstown and used by master weaver James Greene. One of his many tasks was to weave special linens for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Throughout the fascinating TV show, Deborah sourced experts, including a master carpenter in Ards, a Donegal spinning wheel maker, a royal saddler, a blacksmith and a Scottish loom restorer to help her bring the giant loom back to working order – all the while giving us an inciteful history of the damask weaving industry locally.

Emmanuel Greene, son of James Greene, who featured in a BBC documentary 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' which follows the restoration of a 200-year-old loom which James Greene worked on in the 50s at McCollum's Mill in Waringstown, Co Down. The documentary follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores the loom and delves into its history.placeholder image
Emmanuel Greene, son of James Greene, who featured in a BBC documentary 'The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver' which follows the restoration of a 200-year-old loom which James Greene worked on in the 50s at McCollum's Mill in Waringstown, Co Down. The documentary follows Deborah White, one of Ireland's last damask linen weavers, as she restores the loom and delves into its history.

After tracing James Greene from the Bleary area she heard from many locals who worked in Waringstown or whose family had worked at the mill. It is an area steeped in the linen industry as the TV programme explores.

During the programme James Greene’s son Emmanuel shared off cuts of the intricately woven damask linen sent to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

"That brings it all back to me,” said an emotional Emmanuel Greene as he recalled his father sitting behind the loom.

The documentary maker travels to Scotland which has close links to the Irish linen industry and helps source parts for the loom. Other experts share their expertise during the fascinating journey culminating in the restoration of the historic loom.

‘The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver’ is a celebration of traditional skills and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.

It was a mammoth task by Deborah White however she managed to coax and employ some of our best talents to help restore the loom and in the process help remind us of what a huge heritage the linen industry has left us in the Armagh and Down areas and beyond.

You can watch ‘The Warp, the Weft and the Weaver’ on the BBC iPlayer.

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