John Grey Vesey Porter established a woollen mill in Lisbellaw in 1853 in an effort to provide employment following the Great Famine. 

In 1857, John Grey Vesey Porter persuaded John Eadie and John Henderson, experienced weavers and carders from Alloa, Scotland to come to Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh. 

Henderson & Eadie initially leased the mill but later bought it from Porter. In 1909 they established their firm as a limited company. The success of their brand names: ‘Lough Erne,’ ‘Snowhill Irish Tweed’ and ‘Blackthorn Tweed’ brought recognition and fame to the established business. The firm continued in family hands until its closure in 1965. The retail shop in Church Street, Enniskillen remained open until the late 1970s. Click here to explore selected works from our collections linked to the history of the Woollen Mill.

To purchase a copy of the recently launched Lisbellaw Woollen Mill publication, click here.

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