Kay lays flowers down to focus on historic craft

To some, she’s simply one of Youghal’s best known florists but, to others, Kay Curtin is an authority on one of the East Cork town’s most famous traditions.

Kay is one of the few people who still knows how to make Youghal needlepoint lace — and she’s fighting to keep the tradition alive.

One of a group of women who meet every week to make beautifully detailed Youghal lace collars, cuffs, and fans, Kay, a softly spoken mother of four, is passionate about her hobby, something instantly clear to anyone who pauses to look at the window of Condon’s Florists this week.