Participants
The story of Arklow Pottery has been well documented. It was an important part of Arklow’s social and economic landscape, giving employment to hundreds and creating a brand that was a household name across Ireland.
The Pottery is steeped in history and heritage – with products instantly recognisable by their unique patterns that survived and thrived through economic turmoil over 6 decades until its eventual closure in 1998.
This six-part series reflects on some aspects of that history and heritage as told by those who lived through it – former workers of Arklow Pottery.
This series was researched, presented and produced by the brilliant Karen Tomkins, The Treasure Vox, for Arklow Pottery Heritage Project.
Every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy of this information and the content of these oral history interviews is personal, experiential, and interpretive because, by its nature, it relies on the memories, perceptions, and opinions of individuals.
We wish to thank all of the wonderful contributors to this series for generously giving their time to share memories of Arklow Pottery and beyond. We are truly grateful to you all.
Thank you to –
Mauren Albone
Tommy Breen
Ella Broaders
Eilish Burke
Jimmy Burke
Maura Burke
Mary Byrne
Mary Doyle
Fred Kaye
Betty Kelly
Elizabeth Mates
Bobby Reilly
Molly O’ Rourke
Philip Wadding
Nichola Beresford (newsread voiceover)
EPISODE 1 “THE EARLY YEARS”
In the first episode of the series, we hear from those who worked in Arklow Pottery in the 1940’s and ‘50s.
Christopher Barrington was born the same year as Arklow Pottery – 1934 – and worked until the very last day in 1998. He saw huge changes in his time there, from the days when bottle kilns dominated the Arklow skyline, and the factory relied on the Dressler Tunnel Oven.
Jimmy Burke can still remember when a German Luftwaffe dropped a bomb on Arklow in 1941 and the impact that World War Two had on Arklow Pottery. Maureen Albone recalls workers being evacuated with the discovery of a mine while Molly O’ Rourke talks about her daily commute to work as a young 15-year-old girl – 16 miles every day!
She wasn’t on the route of the infamous lorries put on by Arklow pottery to collect workers, detailed by Bobby Reilly.
From hospital bed pans to ashtrays – Betty Kelly looks at the uses of the pottery in its early years and how the unique backstamp identified the year of production while Fred Kaye keeps track of the workers employed by Arklow Pottery from its early years on.
EPISODE 1 Contributors:
Christopher Barrington
Jimmy Burke
Maureen Albone
Molly O’ Rourke
Betty Kelly
Fred Kaye
EPISODE 2 “The Factory Floor – From Clay to Cup”
Arklow Pottery was made in a well-run step-by-step process and was made up of many departments – each as important as the next.
This episode hears from a number of former workers describing the departments that they worked in and the processes involved to turn raw materials of clay into the fabulous end-products that were sold across the country and the world.
From clay, to drying, trimming, bisque-firing, glazing, dipping to design , the skill and craftmanship that went into each piece of pottery was all thanks to dedicated workers who took pride in their role along the production line.
Mary Doyle, Mary Byrne, Jimmy Burke, Ella Broaders, Fred Kaye, Elizabeth Mates, Betty Kelly and Bobby Reilly talk us through the departments they worked in and share some funny stories from their days in the pottery.
EPISODE 2 Contributors:
Mary Doyle
Mary Byrne
Jimmy Burke
Ella Broaders
Fred Kaye
Elizabeth Mates
Betty Kelly
Bobby Reilly
EPISODE 3: “FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, FOOTBALL AND MORE!”
Arklow Pottery was more than just a workplace. Members of the same family often worked side by side, from husbands and wives to fathers and sons and daughters.
We hear from the Burke family – Jimmy and Maura Burke who began their romance in the Pottery and are now 70 years married. Many of their children worked there too, including their daughter Eilish Burke who remembers those evenings around the dinner table at home when ‘the pottery’ was the topic of conversation. She also confesses to the theft of a colleagues clothes when he took a lunchtime dip – as many Arklow Pottery workers did.
Ella Broaders and Tommy Breen come from big Arklow Pottery families and Philip Wadding talks about the lifelong friendships he made from his time there.
Fred Kaye was instrumental in setting up social clubs and we hear about the infamous Pottery Dances, a football team that would give Manchester City a run for its money and even a ladies football team that Betty Kelly played for.
Mary Byrne, Betty Kelly, Maureen Albone and Molly O’ Rourke reminisce on the friends they worked and socialized with – even if they were too young to go to all the dances!
We also hear about the pottery’s Tops Of The Town involvement, crochet classes after work, lunchtime swimming and social trips around the country.
EPISODE 3 Contributors:
Maura Burke
Eilish Burke
Jimmy Burke
Ella Broaders
Tommy Breen
Mary Byrne
Mary Doyle
Fred Kaye
Philip Wadding
Betty Kelly
Christopher Barrington
Elizabeth Mates
Maureen Albone
EPISODE 4: “Indiana Jones and The Pottery Gates”
The scenes of morning time doing down Arklow’s Dock Road to South Quay and through the gates of Arklow pottery are described by former workers throughout the decades.
The factory horn that rang out over Arklow beckoned hundreds of workers – on foot or on bike – to get those through the famous gates before they shut firm at 8am every morning – no exceptions!
Ella Broaders recalls the measures she’d go to make the gates like something from an Indiana Jones film. It was the same for Mary Byrne who was often grateful for a spin on the back of her friend’s bike.
We look at the perks of a job in Arlow Pottery – from savings schemes to healthcare, free milk, getting ‘seconds’ of ware, drying rugs and carpets on the ovens, getting credit in shops around Arklow and smuggling shampoo in to work to make the most of the running water in the 1950s!
Even though some never actually used the Arklow pottery sets they were gifted, they still have them on display in their homes today, we hear those who attach great sentiment to their collections including Elizabeth Mates and Mary Doyle.
And – the day that Hollywood actress Maureen O’ Hara came to the pottery is recalled by Betty Kelly – who explains her fondness in particular for The Willow pattern.
EPISODE 4 Contributors:
Mary Doyle
Ella Broaders
Elizabeth Mates
Jimmy Burke
Mauren Albone
Mary Byrne
Tommy Breen
Philip Wadding
Molly O’ Rourke
Betty Kelly
Fred Kaye
Christopher Barrington
Bobby Reilly
EPISODE 5: “The Women, The Ware and The ffrench Connection.”
Former Personnel Manager Fred Kaye believes that over the years, women outnumbered men by 2 to 1 in Arklow Pottery. This episode looks at the women in the workplace in a changing Ireland and how it would take many years for women to get equal pay and equal recognition.
Mary Byrne recalls her job interview in 1962 and her connection to ceramic artist John ffrench who ran Arklow Studio Pottery at the time.
We look at how the export market evolved in Arklow Pottery in the ‘60s and ‘70s and on the home market and former delivery driver Bobby Reilly laughs at how the Pottery Truck needed high security to get through the streets of Dublin.
More former workers talk about the Arklow pieces proudly in their homes today – even though they are rarely, if ever, used and Tommy Breen why you should do your research before selling it on – there could indeed be cash in the attic!
EPISODE 5 Contributors:
Mary Byrne
Jimmy Burke
Ella Broaders
Bobby Reilly
Elizabeth Mates
Mary Byrne
Molly O Rourke
Maureen Albone
Tommy Breen
Philip Wadding
Christopher Barrington
Fred Kaye
Betty Kelly
EPISODE 6: “The End Of An Era”
This final episode in the series looks at events leading up to the eventual closure of Arklow Pottery in April 1998.
Christopher Barrington remembers Arklow in the 40s and 50s against the backdrop of the factory. Tommy Breen, Ella Broaders and Jimmy Burke talk about the economic importance that the factory served to other businesses in the town.
We look at the era of Japanese company Noritake and Elizabeth Mates recounts her ten-week working holiday to Japan to see how things were done there.
Former workers recall with emotion, their memories of the announcement that the pottery was closing and they speak about that fateful final day when the gates of Arklow Pottery closed for the very last time – the end of an era.
Contributors Episode 6 – all
Mauren Albone
Tommy Breen
Ella Broaders
Eilish Burke
Jimmy Burke
Maura Burke
Mary Byrne
Mary Doyle
Fred Kaye
Betty Kelly
Elizabeth Mates
Bobby Reilly
Molly O’ Rourke
Philip Wadding
Nichola Beresford (newsread voiceover)
