Florence Arnold-Forster

Florence Vere O'Brien born Florence Mary Arnold became Florence Arnold-Forster (3 July 1854 – 8 July 1936) was a British diarist, philanthropist, and craftswoman. She set up The Limerick Lace School and Clare Embroidery. as Florence Arnold-Forster's Irish Journal, the journal offers a rare account of the everyday experience of Irish administration at a critical period in the Irish Land War. The book received a number of reviews in major publications.

She moved to Ireland permanently after her marriage to Robert (Robin) Vere O'Brien on 10 July 1883 and lived at Newhall House and Estate. Her husband, who was from Oldchurch, County Limerick, served as a clerk of the peace at Ennis Courthouse, and as an agent to the Inchiquin and de Vere estates. The couple lived with Robert's mother and sister at Oldchurch where three of their children were born, before moving to County Clare.

Work with the lace industry Upon her move to County Limerick, O'Brien set about supporting the failing Limerick lace industry. She made contact with local lace craftswomen, and provided them with high quality materials as well as her own designs. From this she arranged the sale of the work, using her circle of friends in Dublin and London. O'Brien was a central figure in the foundation of the Private Committee for Promoting Irish Lace, with the support of Alan Cole of the Department of Science and Art, South Kensington and James Brenan RHA. This committee led to the establishment of the lace training school in Limerick in May 1889, and in 1893 on the committee's request her took over the running of the school. When her family moved to New Hall, near Ennis, County Clare, in 1890. In 1895, she established Clare Embroidery, which was run from her home. She was assisted in this endeavour by the O'Briens' children's nurse, a Scotswoman named Mina Keppie, which had the capacity to train up to 15 girls at a time. The business moved with the family to Ballyalla in 1898, and by 1910 they were training up to 27 girls at one time. Both ventures exhibited their work with arts and crafts exhibitions in Ireland, Britain, and America from the 1890s to the 1920s. Amongst these exhibitions were those of the Royal Dublin Society, the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland, the world fairs in Chicago and St Louis in 1893 and 1904 respectively winning several awards. At Lady Arran's Windsor sale in 1900, both Queen Victoria and the princess of Wales purchased examples of their work.

Later life As well as her interest in the lace industry, O'Brien was also active in the development of health care in the County Clare area. She served as a member of the Women's National Health Association, and was involved in the foundation of a sanitorium at Ballyalla in 1912. She initiated the Ennis District Nursing Association, running the scheme for a number of years. During and after World War I, she aided ex-servicemen in County Clare through her work with the War Pensions Committee. In the early twentieth century in Ireland there was a decline in the lace industry, which led to the closure of the school in 1922. Clare Embroidery continued production until O'Brien's death on 8 July 1936 at Ballyalla.